A crucial part of understanding human behaviour is getting to grips with what motivates people. Should you do something because you enjoy it? Or does the promise of a reward make it easier?
Psychologists have studied motivation for years. Everyone is different, and what inspires someone to work hard might not inspire others. It comes down to the difference between intrinsic (internal) and extrinsic (external) motivation.
Herein, we’ll explain the difference between the two and how they are used in working environments to incentivise employees.
What is intrinsic motivation?
Intrinsic motivation is the desire to do an activity or complete a task because you enjoy it. In other words, the satisfaction you will get from doing it is enough to make you want to do it in the first place.
Examples of this include making an effort to study because you have a genuine interest in the course topic. The enjoyment of learning and acquiring knowledge are intrinsic motivators.
Apart from enjoyment, other motivating factors in this category include purpose, growth, curiosity, passion, self-expression, and of course, fun!
It doesn’t mean you’ll always be excited about what you do, even if you know it will contribute to a greater purpose. For this reason, a Harvard Business Review article explains how intrinsic motivation is a skill you can consistently hone and develop over your career.
What is extrinsic motivation?
Extrinsic motivation is feeling inspired to do an activity because of the promise of a reward. Therefore, you are inspired to achieve, succeed, or simply complete a task because you will receive praise and recognition.
Examples include studying because you want to pass your exams to complete your qualification and apply for a job or further studies.
Other motivating factors include promotions, pay raises, bonuses, benefits, prizes, perks and winning.
Intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation
Intrinsic motivation is the best way to be encouraged to do something. Why should you do something if you don’t find value in a task or activity? On the other hand, extrinsic motivation can have a negative connotation. One reason is that people could feel coerced into doing something they don’t find fulfilling to prove themselves or for financial gain.
However, neither of these are essentially positive or negative. It’s more about how you use and understand these two approaches. Understanding your motivation to do something can help you assess your priorities. You can then clarify where to exercise grit and determination and find more inspiration or fulfilment.
Of course, many activities can be motivated by both simultaneously! However, studies show that if you’re intrinsically motivated to do a task and then start to be rewarded for doing it, you could lose interest. A healthy balance could be having both in your life so you are consistently engaged and inspired to grow and develop.
How to manage and motivate people
It can be beneficial to look at our reasons for wanting to do something, as it can help us manage and motivate ourselves. As a manager, however, this becomes critical when encouraging your staff to achieve specific goals and perform so that your business can be successful and grow.
Therefore, understanding intrinsic and extrinsic motivating factors is a valuable tool in a management position. Not all aspects of work will be inherently enjoyable, even though you would like your staff to be motivated because they enjoy their job too.
Depending on your business’s size and growth stage, you might need to exercise grit to overcome challenging times. Incentivising staff can be helpful in this case.
For example, extrinsic motivation like promotions and pay raises can help. For intrinsic motivation, ensure that people’s roles align with their goals and sense of purpose. Ideally, you should combine both to ensure people don’t get bored or become jaded by constant pressure to achieve external recognition or reward.
Learn more about managing and motivating people with SACAP Global
While many continue to work remotely after the pandemic, staying motivated is even more critical in the workplace than ever before.
If you want to develop your skills further as a manager, the online micro-credential Managing and Motivating People provides valuable skills to encourage and inspire your staff. You’ll learn more about what Line and Human Resource Managers do and how they relate to one another.
You’ll also learn how to build successful teams, different theoretical approaches, and why employee engagement and wellness are critical for organisational success. Ultimately, you’ll gain practical skills and knowledge to apply in your current work environment. Effective human resource management requires a broad range of skills, so this course can be the first step to understanding human behaviour in the workplace.
Once you have this foundational knowledge, you can further develop your skills with courses like Intro to Management and Leadership. A related course that will help expand your motivational skills includes The Art of Motivation, which explores theories behind motivation. Developing a Growth Mindset can also help you take your dreams, goals, and aspirations (and those of your team) to the next level.
For more information, browse our list of courses.