Rewards
Rewards work for routine tasks that require no creativity. If we put incentives on creativity, the drive to create can disappear once the incentives or rewards are removed.
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Motivation is categorized into two basic types: Extrinsic and intrinsic.
- Extrinsic motivation is related to external forces like money or fame.
- Intrinsic motivation is something that comes from within like joy or pride.
Money as a tool for motivation is limiting at best, and the 'carrot and stick' approach many managers use to motivate employees is will actually achieve the opposite effect of what was intended.
âIf, thenâ rewards or conditional rewards are when we promise to give something to an individual when they complete a certain task.
These rewards can have a negative impact on motivation as the employees lose the will to work on that task for the sake of working.
There are many examples of scandals, and scams, like managers tweaking their reports to show better results, or athletes using steroids. These shortcuts do not work in the long run. If we are having a spark of intrinsic motivation, the reward is the work itself, and there can be no shortcuts if we love our work.
The drive towards your goal can convince you to make certain decisions or do objectionable and undesirable things that you normally will not do.
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Intrinsic motivation is necessary for creative work. We need broad thinking, so we can come up with innovative ideas and see new connections.
Extrinsic motivation narrows our thinking by focusing on getting the task done so we can earn the reward. It's providing you an external incentive to work hard.
Extrinsic motivation relies upon factors outside ourselves, such as the approval of others, to provide an incentive for action.
Every choice has a price, but when we are motivated, it is easier to bear the inconvenience of action than the pain of remaining the same.
In other words, at some point, it becomes more painful to not do the work than to actually do it.