MotivationGetting individuals to come to work and do their job can be a difficult task. According to Huber (2006) "to effectively motivate, leaders need to discover in their followers some internal and external need or trigger that arouses a desire, energizes the will, and serves as a basis for action or thought."
- In order to do this the leader needs to know what motivates themselves!
1.) Autonomy- urge to direct our own lives. This can be done by giving up control and allowing for more autonomy. This approach has created some amazing outcomes. Giving up control can be hard for some leaders.
Would this be hard for you to do as a leader?
2.) Mastery- desire to get better and better at something that matters. This comes with practice, experience, and constructive feedback. Nurses can work on mastery throughout their profession. It can change from time to time and it can be a continual process.
3.) Purpose- the yearning to do what we do for the service of something larger than ourselves. Dan Pink approaches this by having employees write down the purpose of their work for the company. Discussing this at a meeting can determine how and what the employees are feeling about their particular job.
With all the effort put in to motivate employees, there will still be some that are "unmotivated." Creating an environment that is conducive to motivation and encouragement will enhance productivity, creativity, and longevity.
We have recently started a program at work that allows us to recognize a coworker for a job well done. This is something a lot of us are looking forward to. It is nice to be recognized for going above and beyond your job description. Even doing you job tasks day in and day out without encouragement or acknowledgement can be frustrating. I think this approach will motivate the staff to do their jobs and help others. Every now and then it is motivating to hear "great job" or "thank you." When I get told these it motivates me to do more and strive for better!
What will you do to motivate others around you?
Huber, D. (2006). Leadership and nursing care
management (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier
Jamie I really like this post.
ReplyDeleteI have been forced to rediscover what motivates me recently as I am learning how much I used food and unfortunately tobacco as a reward process. I am finding that a sense of community and working with others is a great motivator for me personally. It is much easier to do homework for example when I am working near others, even if I don't know them, at a coffee shop for example. I can use this to motivate others by inviting them to join me in tasks that neither of us really is that motivated to do on our own. The example that comes to mind here is how I have been frequently asking my father if he would like to go to the gym with me. Setting this example for him he now asks me to go nearly as much and we are both motivated in general more. This can be applied to nursing very easily, if the opportunity to physically work together isn't possible, which it often is, then splitting a task can add an element of teamwork or community which in turn is motivating.
Thanks for the insightful post.
Pete Vanderlinden
I think this post is very insightful. I have never been a fan of the carrot and stick approach to motivation. I have never felt that they made sense in terms of how the world works. I think motivation is a very personal and individual thing. Tying into your post on the multi-generational workforce, motivation in many ways is also affected by our generation and how we were raised. My grandma, who was a nurse for 40 years, was motivated by the pride that came with working hard and gaining recognition for her work. My mother, another nurse, is more motivated by personal competition, as in with herself. She is always trying to work toward her standard and out do herself. For her that is reward enough. I personally am motivated by knowing that I am impacting someone else's life for the better. Competition with my peers or threat of punishment does not push me to be better. I enjoy having the autonomy in my life, to be able to direct where i am going. Great post!
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