What motivates you? Is it a really nice pay check? Is it the attention of someone in authority? Or, is it the fact that you are valued and needed in your workplace? Each of these components add up to create a healthy environment of employees who are eager to do the right things to enhance the company as a whole. Last week, we talked about loyalty and how it effects the success and wellbeing of both customers and employees. Motivation is a subset of loyalty and largely influences the culture of a business.
     I would first like to give you the formal definition of the word motivation within a business context. BusinessDictionary.com defines it as: "Internal and external factors that stimulate desire and energy in people to be continually interested in and committed to a job, role, or subject, and to exert persistent effort in attaining a goal. Motivation results from the interactions among conscious and unconscious factors such as the:
1. intensity of desire or need 2. incentive or reward value of the goal 3. expectations of the individual and of his or her significant others" (BusinessDictionary.com, 2009)
     These three key factors can change your perspective on how you think of your own motivation as well asl others. By taking advantage of these undeniable components, companies are able to better understand what drives their customers and employees inspiration.
     As previously mentioned, there are internal (intrinsic), and external (extrinsic) motivators that influence the way we feel and the actions we take as consumers or workers. Paharia breaks down intrinsic motivators into five different sections. The first being autonomy or the urge to direct one's own life. Mastery being the desire to improve at something that is important. Purpose as the yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves. Progress being the desire to see results in the direction of mastery and the greater purpose. And social interaction as the need to belong and to be connected to and interact with others. (Paharia, 2013, n.p.) All five of these are instilled in our human nature. This is how God created us: IN HIS IMAGE! On the other hand, extrinsic motivators influence us through the use of an outside source. Picture this: you love to play soccer so you join a team. Your parents and coaches only focus on the winning aspect of the game which steals the joy you once had. The extrinsic motivator of competition depleted your original passion for the sport. Contrary to this example, extrinsic motivators can be healthy when used carefully and appropriately.
     To wrap up, I want to just sit on the question of "what motivates you?" In my life, I have found that my motivation for big or small matter in life comes from living in accordance to the will of God. 1 Corinthians 15:58 says, "So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless." (NLT Bible : New Living Translation., 2018) Apostle Paul is telling the people of Corinth that their work is not in vain as long as they are living in submission to God and giving Him the glory. Let's both try to move forward with this mindset when we begin to engage with customers and as employees.
     Until next time!
 


Kristen Gibson; BusinessDictionary.com. Reference Reviews 13 February 2009; 23 (2): 25–26.
NLT Bible : New Living Translation. (2018). Bible Society New Zealand.
Rajat Paharia. (2013). Loyalty 3.0 : how big data and gamification are revolutionizing customer and employee engagement. Mcgraw-Hill Education.