How to create the right motivation. Correct motivation Listen to your inner voice

Understanding the basics of how to motivate employees to increase their contribution to achieving enterprise goals becomes a powerful tool for leaders. Investment in personnel can bring results no less than financial investments, you just need to correctly calculate the vectors of application of forces and consistently introduce the developed principles and approaches into the management process.

Nothing is universal

Mistakes made by management can turn the work process into a waste of time, which will ultimately result in a decrease in performance, a decrease in competitiveness and, as a result, the complete collapse of any, even the most promising undertaking. Therefore, first of all, you need to understand what not to do.

For every person, motivation is the main driving force; if we do something, then we already want something. And, conversely, if we have to do work that is not supported by desire, we will do it through force with the corresponding result. But just as there are no absolutely identical people, there are no absolutely similar desires. Therefore, what will motivate one to work at full capacity will not interest the other at all.

Therefore, there are no principles that are ideal for everyone. For example, there is one oft-proposed way to increase employee engagement that may seem ideal: paying workers not at a specific rate, but as a percentage of profit. But there are a lot of people who perform. They can cope remarkably well with clearly defined tasks, but are completely lost if personal initiative is required from them. At the same time, workers with opposite psychological attitudes are completely unable to act within clear boundaries.

Meanwhile, there is always a job that is best suited to the first or second type. And one of the main personnel mistakes is that an employee is entrusted with activities that are completely unsuitable for his psychotype. At the same time, if the former are given specific tasks and explained exactly what they should do, and the latter are appointed to positions that provide a certain amount of freedom, the productivity of both will increase significantly.

The main meaning of this principle is that when choosing a method of motivation, you should rely on the person’s personality, and not automatically use the same methods for all employees. Therefore, even after becoming familiar with the incorrect use of motivation or the principles on which the right approach is based, the personality of a particular employee should be taken into account.

Mistakes in motivation that can kill a business

The point is that the manager does not want to admit the fact: the success of the company depends not only on the knowledge and experience of employees, but also on their desire to perform the assigned work.

This is especially important in the service sector, in which much depends on the level of interaction between employee and client. No instructions can provide for situations that arise during personal communication, and force a person to work in the service sector or service with high quality, if he himself does not have such a desire, it is impossible.

Personnel acting strictly according to instructions, unwilling to take responsibility and take initiative, will inevitably lead the company to the loss of a client and, accordingly, profit. There is no way to force a person to be proactive; he must really want it. And only the right motivation can help with this.

Even professional psychologists are confused in the definition of the terms “motivation” and “motive”. In general terms, we can say that correct motivation is the actions of management, thanks to which the team has a desire not only to do their job, but to obtain a certain effective result.

Most managers transfer their own perceptions onto their employees, so they consider what seems right to them sufficient for motivation.

For example, a boss may consider that a high salary is a sufficient reason for employees to follow all his instructions. At the same time, he will be confident that the person will try “from the heart” in order to retain his workplace to climb up career ladder or increase your earnings. That is, motives will be applied to the employee that seem sufficient for him. At the same time, it is quite acceptable for a situation where a person is satisfied with the amount he earns, but absolutely cannot stand the situation in the team or the attitude of his superiors towards him.

Wrong motivation that does not take into account the specific situation will act on the contrary, destroy loyalty to the company and destroy initiative. The result is loss of efficiency, loss of competitiveness and decreased profits.

A monetary incentive should be present in the staff motivation system, but it should not be put in first place. A low salary may well become a reason to hate what a person does. But this rule does not work in the opposite direction.

Another reason why monetary incentives do not become decisive for employees to strive for increased efficiency is habituation. A salary increase can cause positive emotions only at the first stage, but after a short time such income becomes habitual and no longer seems sufficient (“there is no such thing as too much money”).

It is necessary to use such incentives, but it should be understood that a person also perceives an increase in his own income as recognition of his achievements.

It is especially important to take into account that financial incentives do not guarantee employee loyalty in cases where highly paid specialists. A person who knows that he can always find a place to apply his own knowledge cannot be retained only with money - he must enjoy working in a specific place.

Employees who are primarily focused on earning more money must see the connection between remuneration and work results. And that part of the staff whose need for money is lower always attaches greater importance to the conditions for self-realization, the opportunity to communicate with other people, the work process itself, or good attitude superiors. However, using them without a fair monetary assessment of labor becomes a demotivating factor that will also reduce productivity.

It is the manager who makes decisions that influence motivation: he determines wages, working conditions, deadlines for completing tasks and their distribution, etc. Therefore, almost any manager’s decision, one way or another, is related to the motivation (or demotivation) of employees. Therefore, such decisions, both in the form of rewards and punishments, must take into account the extent to which they will affect the motivation of staff.

The situation is the opposite of the one in which management does not want to hear about motivating employees. Such a manager, knowing that “employees need to be motivated,” perceives this as an unpleasant but necessary duty. As a result, it is easier for him to motivate people “from the opposite side” - with punishments and threats. The result is exactly the opposite - such actions create a tense environment, not for one person, but for the entire team.

This is not all, but some of the main mistakes related to staff motivation that you should definitely remember.

Principles and types of motivation

The effect of motivating staff can only be obtained if certain principles of incentives are observed:

setting clear and understandable tasks and goals (employees must know exactly what tasks are assigned to them and what goals they must achieve);
rewards and goals must be linked (a person needs to know what he will get from effective work);
the possibility of feedback and transparency (the employee must be sure that his success will be supported, and he can turn to management with questions);
knowledge of motivation tools used in other enterprises, especially competitors;
understanding employee expectations;
optimal combination of material and moral types of motivation;
taking into account the employee’s personality when using incentive methods (what is necessary for one is not necessary for another);
if possible, use positive rather than negative methods (despite the fact that the possibility of punishment may have an effect on improving performance, the constant use of this method worsens the general situation and climate in the team).

Incentive tools can be divided into several types:

material monetary - an increase or assignment of high (upon hiring) wages, bonuses, bonuses, percentages of results, commissions, etc.;
material non-monetary - incentives or rewards that can be valued in money, but received by the employee “in kind” (vouchers, certificates, provided housing or transportation, etc.);
non-monetary - incentives that emphasize both management’s attitude towards the employee and the assessment of his performance, and also work to unite the team.

It is generally accepted that one of the most effective motivating systems of monetary motivation is KPI, which takes into account the performance of employees according to key indicators. In reality, the real picture turns out to be different.

Domestic business uses the KPI as something similar to the system that existed under socialist planning: each employee receives a specific task for a period, and the result of its implementation affects wages. However, management often increases the “norm” next month, which is already more difficult to fulfill. This leads to a deterioration in attitude towards work. In the case when the KPI is not met, the employee does not receive part of the money, so he strives to complete the task, but also develops a negative attitude towards the perception of his activities. As a result, such a system becomes a means of forcing staff to bring more profit, which has nothing to do with actual motivation.

And non-material incentives, which include:

holding general corporate events;
individual work schedule (possibility of remote work, separate days off if necessary, days off on birthdays, etc.);
creating a favorable atmosphere;
public positive assessment of the achievements of an employee or team.

As a conclusion, we can say that the introduction of a motivation system that complies with the listed principles may well lead to an improvement in the overall performance indicators of the entire company. However, this is only possible if we take into account personal qualities every employee. To do this, you need to understand what might interest each employee. This stage may seem difficult, long and inconvenient, but it can bring the most top scores and increase the competitiveness (and, therefore, profit) of any commercial structure.

To achieve your goals, you need to know how to properly motivate yourself. Otherwise, titanic efforts may lead to zero results. I invite you, reader, to learn the simple rules of successful self-motivation.

Discover the main tricks to overcome laziness and doubts. Learn the principle of prioritization and proper organization of every day, week, and year you live. Let's look at classic techniques for working with your own subconscious.

How to properly motivate yourself to achieve maximum results

The entire universe exists according to a simple principle: any physical body or system strives to occupy a position with the least amount of energy. It’s the same thing: we all love to be lazy, lie on the couch, and generally be idle.

But to make your dreams come true, you need to make some efforts. How to properly motivate yourself to achieve maximum results? When goals are unclear, their importance becomes blurred, everything is put off “for later”, and later forgotten. To change everything, you must first understand the depth of your personal desires.

What do I want very, very much, at the thought of which my heart rejoices, I want to move mountains? Perhaps this is a desire to make repairs, or replenish your wardrobe, or maybe buy a new car... The desire must be quite clear, vividly realized by the imagination.
When do I want to get it? Set a deadline after which you will have what you want. It is imperative to be guided by a sense of reality, only slightly seasoned with optimism. The deadline is set this way (example): no earlier than in a month, but no later than in two.
How will I achieve this? Posing a question that excludes the doubting “can I?” By convincing yourself that your dream is real, everyone can achieve their goal. Provided of course a strong desire. Constantly keep an image of your dream in your head, which will serve as a guide on the way to achieving your goal.

Having decided on the goal and deadlines, there is little left to do: break everything down into small steps and start doing part of the work every day. Having worked hard, be sure to praise yourself, be happy with what you have done - you will receive an additional daily incentive, a lot of positive emotions. In general, work should be enjoyable.

It happens, it happens to overestimate own strength, there is not enough time, sometimes unforeseen things prevent you from accomplishing what you planned. You can’t be discouraged, scold yourself, or get angry. Just re-adjust what was unfinished in terms of deadlines, and then continue to move forward!

You will be surprised how a once difficult task was easily resolved, as if by magic new opportunities, abilities, and fortunate circumstances appeared. This happens because a person desires and acts! Remember the biblical: “ask and it will be given” + “faith without works is dead.” These two laws determine the main thing for a person: if you want, believe, strive, then you will definitely get what you want!

Having achieved a result, celebrate your labor victory, this will give unforgettable emotions that additionally stimulate the desire for new results. Thank God for the gift you have received. Now you know how to properly motivate yourself. Good luck to you, friends!

Instructions

Before thinking about motivation, decide on your desires. Are you sure this is exactly what you want? Agree, there is a significant difference between such statements as “I want to go to this university because it is prestigious” and “I want to study at this university because only there I can fully master the business I am doing.” The first statement clearly shows the influence of other people on your desire: you do this in order to earn the recognition of others, perhaps not to deceive their expectations of you, perhaps to prove to others that you are “worth something.” In any case, this desire will be imposed on you from the outside, and “working” motivation can only be created for those desires, the implementation of which is significant for you.

Replace the word “need” with the word “want”. Be sure to do this mentally. The fact is that “should” is what you are forced to do, and the temptation to evade what is forced is so great. And “I want” is what is your need. Even a simple replacement of these concepts will make the upcoming work more enjoyable and easier.

Very often, people begin to motivate themselves “out of the blue”: “If I don’t do this report, I could be fired.” It's not worth starting with this. First, create positive motivation. Mentally answer the question: why do you want to do this or that thing? What will you get as a result? What “bonuses” will you get?

Close your eyes and in front of your mind’s eye draw a picture that most accurately reflects what you will get as a result of doing this or that task. Place your image in this picture - successful, happy, possessing the qualities that you want to acquire. Surround this image with symbols of what will happen in your life if you fulfill your intentions. Use the brightest, most joyful colors, do not be afraid to imagine a too rosy picture for yourself - let it be as attractive as possible. Admire your work, be imbued with its spirit, imagine that everything has already happened, stay in this pleasant reality. Place this picture in the upper right corner of your mental screen.

But now it's time to scare yourself a little. Imagine not doing what you set out to do. Paint the picture in your mind's eye again. Let your image be on it - the way you will become if this does not happen. Surround yourself with symbols of the worst consequences of your inaction. Don’t be afraid to thicken the colors, let this picture become grotesque and frightening for you. Get used to the world you have drawn, feel how uncomfortable it is there. Place it mentally in the lower left corner of the imaginary screen.

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The importance of motivation manifests itself in one of two cases: when a person is ready to study and work for hours without stopping, and when it is given to him with great difficulty. Everyone wants to be productive, but motivating yourself every day is incredibly difficult.

Does not exist simple way teach yourself to wake up in the morning with sparkling eyes and a desire to achieve goals. Therefore, this article is intended to collect all the most important and interesting things in order to help you understand yourself and your motives. We will look not only at motivation as such, but also go through different areas of life where it plays a special role: sports, study and work.

What is motivation

Motivation- the reason for the actions, desires and needs of people. It is also what makes a person want to repeat the behavior. A motive is what motivates a person to act in a certain way or at least to develop a tendency towards a particular behavior.

There are several more definitions of this phenomenon:

an internal state or state that activates behavior and gives it direction
a desire or need that fuels and guides goal-directed behavior
the influence of needs and desires on the intensity and direction of behavior
arousal, direction and consistency of behavior

Please note that the word “direction” appears in many definitions. We can say that a motivated person is a vector that has direction and strength. Even while at rest, he still makes efforts (for example, mental).

A person can achieve a serious goal if he balances between motivation (when the task is interesting, brings pleasure and is completed with ease) and willpower (when the task is set, we don’t want to take on it, but we force ourselves because we have to).

Motivation is usually divided into drives and motives. Drives are primarily biological, such as thirst, hunger, sleepiness and the need to reproduce - all of which drive us to seek out and engage in certain activities. Drives are believed to reside within a person and do not require outside influence or encouragement.

Motives, on the other hand, are driven by social and psychological mechanisms such as work, family, and relationships. These include factors such as praise and approval.

Let's look at what theories of motivation exist and how they differ.

Theories of motivation

There are many theories of motivation, but we will highlight the most interesting and significant ones.

Instinct Theory of Motivation. According to it, people are motivated to behave in certain ways because they are evolutionarily programmed to do so. For example, biological instincts that are important for the survival of the organism, such as fear, purity and love.
Incentive theory of motivation. It suggests that people are motivated to do things because of external rewards. For example, your motivation could be salary.
Drive and need theory. Processes such as eating, drinking and sleeping are dictated by physiological needs. Therefore, he is motivated enough when he feels their lack.
Arousal theory of motivation. It suggests that people are motivated to do things that help them maintain an optimal level of arousal (called flow). A person with low arousal needs may engage in relaxing activities such as reading a book, while people with high arousal needs may be motivated to do something physically exciting such as motorcycle racing.

Motivation can also be viewed in terms of zone of influence. In this case, it is divided into external and internal.

External and internal motivation

Intrinsically motivated behavior is generated by the sense of personal satisfaction it brings. A person gets joy from completing a task. You can be called motivated if you study at university for fun and to become educated.

Intrinsic motivation is a critical element in cognitive, social and physical development; those people who are inherently motivated are more likely to perform better and improve their skills.

Extrinsically motivated behavior, on the other hand, is performed in order to obtain something from others. Employees may do their jobs because they want the company to pay them, not because they love it. Some athletes are driven by the goal of winning competitions and receiving praise from fans; they are not driven by the inner satisfaction they get from the game.

Likewise, if you go to university because you want to get a high-paying job or satisfy your parents, your motivation is more extrinsic.

This is in theory, but in reality everything is a little more complicated. Motivation is often a combination of both intrinsic and external factors, and their ratio may change over time. Therefore, it is recommended to try yourself in different areas and look for a hobby in order to understand which type of activity brings more pleasure.

We're done with the theory and it's time to figure out how to motivate yourself in different areas of life.

Motivation for learning

Many people find it difficult to motivate themselves to study for two reasons:

They want to start working right away.
They want instant returns in the form of money or approval.

When you study or program (that is, an activity that requires a fair amount of time without return), there is a high risk that after two weeks you will stop doing it. Training requires patience, because for a long time you will not receive any results or money. Therefore, motivation for learning is even more important than for work.

Below you will see a step-by-step structure that will increase your motivation in learning.

Goals. Start by recognizing and writing down two types of goals: long-term and short-term. Short-term goals will influence your level of motivation and move you towards long-term goals.

Write down all your goals.
Avoid ambiguity; goals should be clear and clear.
Break complex goals into small ones.
State how you intend to achieve your goal. The more details, the better.
Visualize achieving your goal and how you will feel in the future when you achieve it.
Reward yourself. External incentives should complement motivation, not determine it.

Just start. The brain is designed in such a way that it resists any change in activity because it does not want to lose energy. Knowing this, you should do everything possible to remain in a state of learning for as long as possible - over time, the desire to learn will arise. Now this process becomes the main one, and distraction from it becomes painful.

Tell yourself, “I’ll study for just 30 minutes and then we’ll see.”
Don't torture yourself by imagining alternatives to studying. Focusing on other activities will make learning exhausting.
The faster you concentrate, the faster you will complete the lesson.
Imagine the negative consequences of procrastination and laziness (we are afraid of inner pain).
Imagine the positive consequences of achieving a goal (we strive to have fun).
Eliminate distractions (put your phone on silent).

Achieve one small goal. You've already divided your long-term goal into several short-term ones, and now you just need to achieve one of them. This is important because it allows you to feel that you have become better, that you have reached a new level. very popular now and for good reason. In the game, motivation appears as if by itself: you don’t need to look for it and carve it out of stone.

Choose the right music. Many people neglect this advice, but in vain. What is the most important thing in learning? Complete concentration. So download music that doesn't have lyrics and try to work for a few hours. If this is your thing, use this playlist more often.

Clear the table. Few people will sit at a table cluttered with piles of paper and various rubbish. A clean table means clear thoughts. It's always hard to start, and when you see a cluttered desk, you find yourself a lot of excuses for not doing anything.

Genuine Interest. You can force yourself, or you can fall in love with learning. What does it mean? For example, you teach English language and it seems boring. Read the book "You Can't Be Taught" foreign language» Nikolai Zamyatkin, which will allow you to become interested in the process of learning languages. Be interested not only in rules and boring theories, find Interesting Facts in any field that you master.

Motivation for sports

Everyone wants to be and clearly understands this. Why then do so few people play sports? Because they lack motivation. They have knowledge, they have understanding, they have a need, but there is no desire. You can even force yourself to work or study, but going for a run (if this is not your profession) is incredibly difficult. Here are some tips to help you do this.

Read books about sports. After reading an article about sports, the likelihood of doing it increases significantly. Much depends on the skill of the author, who may or may not evoke this desire. After a few days, motivation and enthusiasm disappear. Therefore, read books and exercise at the same time.

Athletes release their autobiographies - reading them will be an excellent motivating factor. There are books about fitness, proper breathing and much more. If they help you at least start doing morning exercises, then they are already performing some of their functions.

Track your progress. Smart watches are of particular value for those who play sports. It’s very exciting to see after a run how many kilometers you ran and how many calories you lost. Find popular apps for your mobile platform and use them.

Find a friend for sports. It will be much more difficult for you to refuse to go to the gym if you understand that you will let the person down. You can enjoy a great time together and help motivate each other. Someone who is better than you will usually be more motivated as you try to keep up with them. And vice versa.

Find music for sports. Motivation appears when strong positive emotions rage in your psyche. Music evokes them quickly.

Pack your bag and leave it near the door. This is the simplest and most effective trigger technique. We have already said that the brain does not want to change its activity, which means that any obstacle will be perceived as a reason not to do so. If your bag is packed and located near the door, you just need to put on your shoes and leave the apartment. Even if you have the strongest motivation for sports today, do not flatter yourself - it will disappear overnight.

Create a schedule. Replace the thought “I should go to the pool” with “I will go to the pool tomorrow, Thursday and Saturday right after work.” You don’t look for an excuse, but make peace with the decision you’ve made and plan your life, taking into account that two hours for the pool have already been scheduled.

Motivation to work

Work can bring suffering if you are mentally determined that you are doing it all for the money. Even what you love will become unpleasant after some time if you are fixated only on external rewards.

Motivation to work differs significantly from motivation to study in one important point: in studies it is important to start (the first 30 minutes), but in many cases you are forced to do the work. The problem is not getting the work done (you will do it), but enjoying it.

Let's see what methods and tips will help you avoid such a mistake.

Productive morning. No the best way hate your job than start your morning wrong. Wrong means unproductive and completely pointless. No matter what kind of work you have, in the office or at home, the first 30 minutes after waking up are of great importance.

What can and should be done during this time? Review your to-do list for today that you made ahead of time last night. This is important because it allows you to instantly get ready for work. Meditate and do exercises - the first clears your thoughts, the second takes you out of a state of laziness and peace.

Definition of the task. Work motivates when it is clear what exactly you are doing. Think about it: what good feeling does it feel like when you clearly understand a task or make serious progress on a big project? At the end of each day or week, create a “Done” list (opposite your to-do list) in which you outline all the tasks you have completed. For extra motivation, keep it in front of your eyes.

Diversity of skills. What completely kills motivation? Boredom, routine, repetition. When you do the same thing over and over, it drives you crazy. Whatever you do, there is always the opportunity to learn something new, study many books on the topic and immediately apply knowledge in practice. Get the job done different ways, mix different styles and demeanor.

Feedback. If you want to become motivated, collect feedback on your work. Not only for the ego boost (if the job is done well), but also because the right feedback can help sharpen skills. It is good because it unsettles the usual rut, offers fresh ideas and makes you question the usual order of things. It helps you look at yourself and your work from a different angle. Freshness appears and destroys routine.

Remind yourself why you do what you do.. Even if your work is enjoyable and has great value, you may forget about it. Remind yourself of its importance every day - in the morning and before bed. In any case, it will be done, so it’s better to do it with pleasure.

Know your "why". First, step back and create a list that displays all the ideas, projects, and tasks floating around in your mind. Then take a look at the following questions:

Why is this task important to me?
Who and what does it affect?
How will this affect my personal and professional life?

Even if you don't feel like doing the work today, still tell yourself, “I want to do this task,” rather than “I have to do it.” If you can't evoke the right emotion, take a couple of minutes and think: “Why is this so important to me?”

Self-motivation for procrastinators

When deadlines are not absolute or clearly defined, procrastinators do not cope well with them. All four strategies discussed below involve activating emotions that motivate performance.

Reducing available time

Scheduling a task around a job or activity gives procrastinators less available time to do something, thereby creating time pressure that activates driving emotions. Some people, encouraged by a deadline, challenge themselves before they start working or studying.

If you artificially limit yourself to time frames, then you begin to control yourself. As we know, work fills all the time allotted to it.

Forced incentives

Professionally successful people emotionally attached to their goals. When they keep promises regarding them, they increase their motivation level. To-do lists are popular for a variety of reasons, but they are used as a tool for making commitments.

Financial considerations are also effective in setting an absolute deadline. This is especially important for those whose income is based on commissions or project completion. Regularly assessing the attractiveness of a financial goal and its impact on long term plan, you can evoke emotions that motivate action. It doesn't matter what incentives you find, real or unrealistic, the main thing is that it works.

Using working memory

The burst of energy needed to achieve something appears as the deadline approaches. When you think about a task without doing it, you become tired and waste a lot of energy without any benefit.

Get thoughts about the task out of your head until you begin to complete it. Otherwise, you will not be able to get to work, simultaneously reproaching yourself for it. Meditation and breathing exercises may help you.

Using external circumstances

Even though procrastinators like to wait for deadlines, under certain circumstances they are motivated to complete tasks early. For example, they can immediately solve it if the delay is associated with an intrapersonal conflict. That is, the pain of not getting the work done right now should be greater than the pain of putting it off.

You can set your priorities in such a way that you take on work in order not to let your loved one down. Some people's sense of self-shame is not as intense as the shame we feel in front of those we care about.

Books on motivation and self-motivation

“33 ways to self-motivate” Igor Osipenko
"100 Ways to Self-Motivate" Steve Chandler
“It’s not harmful to dream” Barbara Sher
"Be the best version of yourself" Dan Waldschmidt
"No Self Pity" Erik Larssen
"To hell with all of it! Take it and do it!” Richard Branson
"Get Out of Your Comfort Zone" Brian Tracy

We wish you good luck!

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