Using Strengths to Increase Motivation

Using Strengths to Increase Motivation

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Using Strengths to Increase Motivation

Motivation is an essential aspect in an individual as it greatly influences the will to carry on in different areas of life; on a personal or career level. For this reason, it is important to ensure that people, especially in an organization, are always motivated as a way of enhancing their individual performance as well as that of the organization as a whole. This piece of paper will give a critical discussion on the concept of motivation and various aspects associated with it. Much emphasis will however be given to how motivation can be enhanced. A psychological capital (PsyCap) on individual assessment will be examined and strategies to advance career using strengths from it developed. The use of goal-setting to enhance motivation and promote job performance will also be highlighted. The manner in which one’s engagement as an employee and job satisfaction influence job performance and how different motivational theories can aid in job performance will also be outlined.

I strongly agree with the results from the psychological capital (PsyCap). This is more so because they clearly describe me as a person. Positive PsyCap is linked to cultivating four major characteristics namely; resilience, hope, optimism and efficacy. The self-assessment depicted a relatively good score in these attributes, an aspect that is desirable. Confidence is an attribute that I delight in especially when it comes to career issues, an aspect that has made me succeed in various work-related assignments. I also believe in critical thinking and finding solutions to problems rather than giving up. With regard to efficacy, resiliency and hope, the feedback was promising, with a high level of PsyCap. However, when it comes to optimism, the feedback shows moderate level of PsyCap. This is not a bad score and I believe that I am a strong individual and a little motivation would go a long way in making me an even better person in terms of performance, job satisfaction and overall personal well-being.

An individual’s strengths are a great source of motivation. It is therefore advisable to be aware of one’s strengths and take advantage of them as a bridge towards achieving success. Different strategies could be utilized as a way of advancing one’s career using their strengths. There is need to structure one’s work to play to their strengths. Despite the fact that this could always not be possible, one could work around in tailoring projects and activities to play up their advantages, as a way of drawing positive attention to their efforts and achievements. There is a benefit in applying one’s passion, interest and strengths in the work as it helps in achieving career goals. Other strategies that go hand in hand with the identification and implementation of strengths in work include being fervent to learn and share knowledge, building great relationships and being open to change (Demetriou & Schmitz-Sciborski, 2011). A combination of these strategies is likely to enhance one’s performance through motivation.

According to Locke and Latham (2013), goal-setting can be used in increasing motivation and improving job performance. Having some set goals creates a need to achieve and this acts as a motivation towards the same. Goals play a critical role since they allow an individual to focus their effort in a given direction, enhance their chances of success and improve on motivation and satisfaction. These are quite essential. The goals increase motivation and enhance job performance by creating a gap between what a person has and what they desire to achieve. The discrepancy and self-dissatisfaction act as an incentive to be achieved. This is to mean that goals come along with some arousal that makes people yearn for accomplishment. Without goals, one is likely to lose focus and lack the motivation to carry on, but goals help in achieving life and job satisfaction.

An individual’s engagement as an employee and job satisfaction can largely influence job performance. The two factors are crucial and an organization should look into them if keeping its employees happy is a priority. Some of the aspects that contribute to employee satisfaction include attractive compensation, safe and favourable work environment and appreciation from management among others. These motivate an individual to get job done and is therefore a source on motivation. On the other hand, employee engagement is more to job satisfaction. It is entails one being deeply involved in the work and believing in the organization’s vision and the work therein. While job satisfaction has the power to enhance job performance, employee engagement is more likely to yield better results in terms of performance since the employees are driven by the desire to achieve the organization’s goals under all costs, including utilizing their talents towards accomplishing corporate business goals and objectives (Demerouti & Cropanzano, 2010). All in all, both employee engagement and job satisfaction have a positive influence towards job performance.

Different motivational theories could aid in job performance. For the sake of this assignment, five motivational theories and their relevance in job performance will be discussed. They include; Maslow Needs Hierarchy theory, self-determination theory, expectancy theory, equity theory and Herzberg’s theory of motivation.

Maslow Needs Hierarchy theory is associated with its developer, Abraham Maslow. Needs are classified into levels from the basic to the most advanced. They include; physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging, esteem and finally the need for self-actualization. According to the theory, to motivate people to work towards achieving higher levels of need, their basic needs must have been met. The theory could aid in job performance by bringing about an understanding of people and the importance of their jobs (Taormina & Gao, 2013). In a way, this creates respect among people in the workplace and they are motivated to enhance their performance as a way of attaining the next level of their needs.

Self-determination theory is a motivation theory that revolves around supporting individuals’ intrinsic tendencies so as to behave in efficient and healthy ways as a way of achieving success. Individuals are characterized by innate psychological needs that play a crucial role, as a source of personal integration as well as self-motivation. Some of the innate needs whose satisfaction enhances performance through optimal function and growth include autonomy, competence and relatedness. If the social and working environment is in a position to nurture the inherent potential of the employees, then their job performance is enhanced greatly. Satisfying the needs of competence, relatedness and autonomy fosters the employees’ well-being and health, an aspect that translates to better performance (Deci & Ryan, 2011).

The expectancy theory argues that individuals are likely to choose their behaviour based on the outcomes they expect from the given behaviour. Some of the elements that the theory is based on include valence, expectancy and instrumentality. The principles of the theory are likely to aid job performance. This can work by setting goals for the employees and attaching some rewards to the goals. This will arouse the desire to attain the goals so as to get the reward and in so doing, job performance will be enhanced (Riccucci, 2015). The rewards do not necessarily have to big or expensive.

The equity theory is a motivation theory that was developed by Stacey Adams. According to the theory, one’s perception of fairness greatly influences their level of satisfaction. In turn, they could impact on their job performance. What happens to others is important to a person and if one feels they are treated not as well as others, they are likely to be distressed and lack motivation and zeal to work. This lowers their job performance and the vice versa is true. The feeling of fairness is determined by the rewards involved against ones inputs to work compared to the rewards others get relative to their work inputs. On the other hand, Herzberg’s theory of motivation asserts that motivator factors and hygiene factors influence employee satisfaction and motivation. Motivator factors enhance satisfaction and motivate employees in their work while the absence of hygiene factors leads to lack of motivation and dissatisfaction (Riccucci, 2015). Both motivator and hygiene factors should be enhanced to improve job performance and productivity of the employees.

The above discussion shows that motivation is quite a significant aspect in an individual especially in the workplace or career life. There is need to invest on different motivation strategies, irrespective of the costs involved, as a way of enhancing personal performance, which in turn translates to improved organizational performance. Without motivation, it may be difficult to achieve success.

References

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2011). Self-determination theory. Handbook of theories of social psychology, 1, 416-433.Demerouti, E., & Cropanzano, R. (2010). From thought to action: Employee work engagement and job performance. Work engagement: A handbook of essential theory and research, 65, 147-163.

Demetriou, C., & Schmitz-Sciborski, A. (2011). Integration, motivation, strengths and optimism: Retention theories past, present and future. In Proceedings of the 7th National Symposium on student retention (pp. 300-312).Locke, E. A., & Latham, G. P. (Eds.). (2013). New developments in goal setting and task performance. New York: Routledge.

Riccucci, N. M. (2015). Public Personnel Management. New York: Routledge.

Taormina, R. J., & Gao, J. H. (2013). Maslow and the motivation hierarchy: Measuring satisfaction of the needs. The American journal of psychology, 126(2), 155-177.