Your boss is killing your motivation and he doesn't know it

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU on the job? Why do you do your work the way you do?  When you lose motivation, do you know what the root cause is?  Is it a “slump”, or is some outside force driving down what keeps you charging hard on the job?  This blog post takes a brief look into why we are motivated, and what we must obtain in order to remain so. 

     Lots of people discount motivation, but without motivation, there would be no innovation.  Motivation drives people to create and explore; it drives people to study and train, too.  If you've ever worked in a job with a group of people who were highly-motivated to meet goals and be the best, then you know how high-functioning the team is.  If your work experiences revolved around a constant pool of negativity, low performance, gossip, and hostility, then you probably have no idea what I'm talking about.  Outside of a paycheck, work should complete our lives and aid us in meeting our own personal needs.  Stay with me--I'll explain.  

The Hierarchy of Needs

Abraham Maslow:  a happy fellow

     According to Abraham Maslow, humans have a set of needs that need to be satisfied in order to achieve a sense of self-actualization.  These needs are organized into a specific hierarchy.  The hierarchy is pyramid-shaped, with the most important and basic needs at the bottom (such as food and water), and the self-edifying needs (such as hobbies and similar pursuits) at the top.  If the basic, physiological needs are not being met, a person is less likely to be creative *unless that creativity is used as a means to put food on the table*.  When someone achieves a level of the hierarchy, they advance to the next level to meet those needs.  Early man sought food and water before they sought shelter.  Safety, a second-tier need, is usually considered after food has been obtained (which is probably why starving people forsake their safety in the pursuit of food).  

     Interestingly, sex is considered a physiological need.  The desire to procreate or achieve sexual gratification is primal and supersedes safety or shelter, and even sits two levels below friends, family, or community.  This may explain why your best bud cut back on meeting you for drinks after work after he met a girl.  Don't take it personal--his basic physiological needs are being met.  It's hard to get upset with nature!  Notice how high the self-esteem level sits in the hierarchy (below).  For those who suffer from low self-esteem, it might be a question of recognition in relationships at home and work that is keeping them from achieving this level.     According to Maslow, achieving a complete hierarchy is what it takes to feel a fullness of life.  But that isn't everything; what about work?  How does work factor into this hierarchy?  Almost everywhere, if you think about it.

Self-Determination Theory

     Edward Deci and Richard Ryan developed their own theory in regards to personality, development, and well-being in social contexts.  In regards to work, employees have three needs to be happy in the workplace:  competence, autonomy, and relatedness.  These needs kindle a kind of motivation that springs from a person's own desire to work harder.  When psychological needs are met, people will develop a sense of intrinsic motivation, which means people find enjoyment in their work.

The First Need:  Competence

   Competence on the job isn't just to prove to your peers and bosses that you can do the job.  Competence also fuels the mind and creates a sense of self-confidence in the job that workers who have it work more effectively and achieve a greater sense of happiness at work.  If you know your work--you work harder.  Think about a time you had a job to do, but were unsure of how to do it.  Did you feel happy in the job?  Were you pleased with your efforts when you were working?  Knowing what to do pleases not just your boss--but it pleases you as well.

The Second Need:  Autonomy

     Autonomy simply means the freedom from external controls.  If you have autonomy in your job, that means you have the ability to make decisions, prioritize work based upon your own judgment, and complete the task your own way.  That doesn't mean procedure is overlooked and safety is sacrificed; it does mean you can use your own judgment in how the process flows and how long each piece of a project might take to require.  When we feel we have autonomy, it usually means we are trusted in our work to get the job done.  Your boss probably has worked with you to build a strong professional relationship and gives you plenty of latitude to do your job because you have demonstrated the competence to get the job done.  Do not mistake absence of leadership with a sense of autonomy!  A boss who has abandoned you does not leave you with the same sense of independence as one who has said Gene, you have proven yourself here in your role, and I feel you are capable of doing this job without constant direction.  I'm here if you need me, but I think you'll be more efficient if I just get out of your way.

The Third Need:  Relatedness

     Humans are mammals, and mammals are social creatures.  Because of this, we seek to build friendships and coalitions in our relations in order to feel part of a social order.  It's part of Maslow's Hierarchy, and it definitely applies here.  When we are free to build professional work relationships and they are founded in mutual respect, trust, and fraternity, it helps complete the needs of self-determination.

Needs satisfaction among highly-educated professionals

     Aside from daily work, the educated among us are the most likely to get burnt-out at work.  Have you ever seen "continuous learner" as part of a job description?  It's not for show--if we don't have continuous stimulation on the job (with stretch goals, job variety, cross-training, etc.) or pursue outside education or learning, we tend to wither away at work.  This could be why some employers fail to retain top talent; it isn't just about money--it's something more.

Work and life

     The old "work hard/play hard" paradigm is fully supported through studies conducted by behavioral psychologists.  People need to develop and maintain a strong work/life balance in order to recharge the mind, reconnect with hobbies, and give their work lives a break.  Too often, people are thinking about work when they're not working, and oftentimes personal desires, hobbies, and interests are neglected as work eclipses the life.  This can lead to burnout in even the happiest, hardest-working employees.  Too many Americans suffer from an imbalance in their work and private lives.  This can lead to divorce, substance abuse, and poor health to name just a few.  Employers complain to me all the time about their high turnover of manpower.  Usually, when I ask how their overtime figures look, it is always too much overtime.  When I push back on employers and ask them what they are doing to reduce overtime, I usually get a reply like what do you expect us to do?  We have work to do!  Something's gotta give, and usually, it's the employees who give too much of themselves until they quit.

How your boss sabotages your motivation

     Researchers have discovered that employers actually undermine the self-generated motivation and happiness in their employees by giving them physical rewards in a manner that causes an employee to shift their cause for working from working toward self-fulfillment to working for treats.  It's called an external locus of causality; let me explain it another way:  the joy one feels from accomplishing a task is a great feeling, but imagine if that joy is snatched away from accomplishment and pinned to a $50 gift card at the local coffee shop.  While you are happy you won't be paying for your overpriced cappuccino for the next week, your mind has attached achievement to physical reward instead of a lasting sense of accomplishment.  I'm not condemning free coffee!  However, if your employer fails to fulfill your needs in terms of your own hierarchy or self-determination, you might grow to resent your job, and that gift card might have been a reason why.  Amazingly, researchers have connected physical rewards to a loss of motivation the same way threats of punishment, deadlines, and unfriendly work environments do.  They all have the capability to pollute joy at work.  That being said, physical rewards are not the same as praise and feedback.  Autonomy is thwarted when people become dependent on physical rewards in exchange for work.  If you find yourself exchanging work for a reward, then self-determination in the workplace is impeded.  Again, who doesn't like freebies?  Unfortunately, there is a psychological price to be paid, and that price is usually happiness on the job.

Basic needs and people's life goals

     When work goals align with basic needs and life goals, employees tend to perform better at their jobs.  They also experience greater wellness at work.  In contrast, if people's long-term goals interfere with need satisfaction, greater ill-being is likely to be the end result.  Researchers have used a series of factors in an analysis to determine how life goals or aspirations align with their jobs.  These life goals fell into at least two broad categories:  one category is one known as extrinsic aspirations such as the desire to get rich and famous and become attractive to present a certain image or attain a status a person previously did not possess.  The other is known as intrinsic aspirations, such as personal development, building strong relationships, physical fitness and health achievements, and being a contributor to a larger community.  No matter where these aspirations were studied in the world, the results were the same.  People who placed beauty, wealth, and fame above personal growth and strong relationships were unhappier in their lives, had a lower sense of self-esteem, and experienced poorer mental health.  Those who did the opposite were happier and felt better about themselves.  What does that mean in regards to work?  You be the judge.

How can your boss turn things around?

     Your boss should be made aware of the issue of how physical rewards affect employees.  Salaries and other payments (such as bonuses) are an integral part of the job, but so is self-determination on the job.  In every study I read about, tangible rewards undermine intrinsic motivation for college students, high school students, and even nursery school students (if a toddler is told she'll get a cookie if she can tie her shoes, she will not feel proud of her accomplishment after tying her shoes--she'll hold out her hand for the cookie instead).  The feeling transcends age, and is a good example of the loss of intrinsic motivation and its effect on a worker.

     If you're a boss, first you need to look at yourself and try to gauge your own hierarchy of needs and if each level is being met.  Next, look to your own self-determination; are you competent in your work?  Do you feel empowered and autonomous in your daily duties?  Do you have a strong relationship with your own boss as well as with your subordinates?  If you do, diagnose your employees and their needs.  If your employees say pay me more and I'll be happy, this could be either they have been conditioned to say this, or there is something else outside the realms of pay that is keeping them from being happy and content in their work.  Targeted, constructive feedback, praise, and mentoring are key to making your employees feel more related to you; these acts also help in terms of increasing autonomy and competence on the job.  Think about it, and make a plan.

     We all have work to do--let's do it together and for everyone's benefit.  --The Atomic Father