In my experience of the world, every person is motivated. I have worked with an hourly employee who wrestles on weekends; he is motivated by the wrestling, not his job. I have worked with another who played in a reggae band while working the line in a light industrial plant - one job he worked for love, the other for money.
I've worked with writers, people who were making money blogging, and others who owned stores where they worked on weekends. In my own life, with several partners, I owned an automatic car wash and gas station, when I had outgrown my full-time job. I used to do the bookkeeping and close the shop after my day job many nights a week and weekends.
Other employees wouldn't miss their golf or soccer games and practice. If you look into employees' lives, you'll find their sources of motivation from moonlighting work to hobbies to family time.
Because everyone is motivated, and their motivation may have nothing to do with their job, motivation at work is a challenge. You need to tap into the intrinsic motivation that each person brings to the workplace, and help employees channel it into work success for the employee and the business.
In today's turbulent, ever changing work environment, business success depends on each employee developing and using his or her full talent. Yet in spite of the myriad of available theories and practices, managers often view motivation as something of a mystery. In part this is because individuals are motivated by different things and in different ways.
Take a look at Motivating Your Staff in a Time of Change to learn about employee motivation, the impact of employee motivation, and how managers can facilitate employees choosing to be as motivated at work as they are by their part-time passions.
Image Copyright Andrew Olney / Getty Images
More Resources for Employee Motivation
- What People Want From Work
- You Can Make Their Day: Motivational Leaders
- Help People Thrive at Work
- Tips for Minimizing Workplace Negativity
All Topics | Most Popular | Newsletter | HR Forum
Connect with Susan: LinkedIn | Facebook | Google+ Twitter: @AboutHR | @SusanHeathfield