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Leaders must balance intrinsic and extrinsic Motivation in different ways to effectively motivate and engage their teams.
First, let's define the differences:
Intrinsic Motivation is an inner Drive—having a more profound inner meaning to do your work. It is work done without the need for external validation or reward. It is driven by purpose, enjoyment, and individual satisfaction. With internal Motivation, there is a natural drive towards mastery and growth.
Extrinsic Motivation is a drive or desire to complete a task to get a reward or to avoid punishment.
Leadership Motivational Speaker Speaks to an Audiences Inner Worth
Intrinsic Motivation is preferred because it doesn't require managing rewards and punishment. You don't have to babysit people or hold them accountable. Employees' inner drive guides their actions.
Some tips To enhance Intrinsic Motivation
1) Recognize and appreciate intrinsic qualities
This is not tied to specific results or skills but to recognizing inner strengths like determination, patience, self-awareness, enthusiasm, and courage.
Recognize people when they overcome obstacles, turn problems into opportunities, take risks, or think outside the box.
Remember, these aren't tied to specific outcomes; your goal is not to manipulate people into doing something. You are drawing wisdom out of people, not trying to push your ideals or targets onto them.
Instead, it's to help people see what they are capable of.
2) Autonomy and Responsibility: Giving employees autonomy to make decisions and take ownership of their work can tap into their intrinsic Motivation to excel and innovate.
3) Challenging Work: Leaders can assign challenging projects that align with employees' interests and skills, sparking their intrinsic Motivation to overcome obstacles and achieve success.
Tips to enhance Extrinsic Motivation:
1) Rewards and Incentives: Leaders can offer tangible rewards such as bonuses, promotions, or perks to motivate employees to achieve specific goals. These should be tied to results and are often skill-based.
For instance, a sales goal is specific, and you use sales skills to achieve it. If someone fails to reach goals, you can train them on sales skills like closing deals or project management.
It's essential to have external Motivation, not to make it personal. In other words, it doesn't make you a wrong person if you don't reach your goal. In most cases, we can train you in specific areas to achieve more.
Often, the reason we don't reach goals is external circumstances like supply and demand, available resources, or unrealistic goals in the first place.
It's not fair to punish people for things they can't control; you must only focus on things they can control, like improved skills.
2) Competition: Creating a competitive environment with rewards for top performers can drive extrinsic Motivation to excel and outperform peers. Remember to use specific competition criteria, like sales numbers, rather than just pitting people against each other. Keep it light and fun.
3) Clear Goals and Expectations tied to rewards
Clear goals can motivate employees to meet or exceed targets. Unclear goals will frustrate employees and create drama and uncertainty.
By understanding the differences between intrinsic and extrinsic Motivation, leaders can create a balanced motivational strategy that leverages both types of Motivation to inspire and engage their teams effectively.