how early theories of motivation can b used to motivate anybody ?(long question)
Answers
Motivation Theories
Motivation is a state-of-mind, filled with energy and enthusiasm, which drives a person to work in a certain way to achieve desired goals. Motivation is a force which pushes a person to work with high level of commitment and focus even if things are against him. Motivation translates into a certain kind of human behaviour.
It is important to ensure that every team member in an organization is motivated. Various psychologists have studied human behaviour and have formalized their findings in the form various motivation theories. These motivation theories provide great understanding on how people behave and what motivates them.
Motivation is a huge field of study. There are many theories of motivation. Some of the famous motivation theories include the following:
1. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
Abraham Maslow postulated that a person will be motivated when his needs are fulfilled. The need starts from the lowest level basic needs and keeps moving up as a lower level need is fulfilled. Below is the hierarchy of needs:
Physiological: Physical survival necessities such as food, water, and shelter.
Safety: Protection from threats, deprivation, and other dangers.
Social (belongingness and love): The need for association, affiliation, friendship, and so on.
Self-esteem: The need for respect and recognition.
Self-actualization: The opportunity for personal development, learning, and fun/creative/challenging work. Self-actualization is the highest level need to which a human being can aspire.Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
The leader will have to understand the specific need of every individual in the team and accordingly work to help fulfil their needs.
2. Hertzberg’s two factor theory
Hertzberg classified the needs into two broad categories namely hygiene factors and motivating factors.
Hertzberg’s two factor theory
Hygiene factors are needed to make sure that an employee is not dissatisfied. Motivation factors are needed for ensuring employee's satisfaction and employee’s motivation for higher performance. Mere presence of hygiene factors does not guarantee motivation, and presence of motivation factors in the absence of hygiene factors also does not work.
McClelland’s theory of needs
McClelland affirms that we all have three motivating drivers, and it does not depend on our gender or age. One of these drives will be dominant in our behaviour. The dominant drive depends on our life experiences.
The three motivators are:
Achievement: a need to accomplish and demonstrate own competence People with a high need for achievement prefer tasks that provide for personal responsibility and results based on their own efforts. They also prefer quick acknowledgement of their progress.
Affiliation: a need for love, belonging and social acceptance People with a high need for affiliation are motivated by being liked and accepted by others. They tend to participate in social gatherings and may be uncomfortable with conflict.
Power: a need for control own work or the work of others People with a high need for power desire situations in which they exercise power and influence over others. They aspire for positions with status and authority and tend to be more concerned about their level of influence than about effective work performance.
4. Vroom’s theory of expectancy
Victor Vroom stated that people will be highly productive and motivated if two conditions are met: 1) people believe it is likely that their efforts will lead to successful results and 2) those people also believe they will be rewarded for their success.
People will be motivated to exert a high level of effort when they believe there are relationships between the efforts they put forth, the performance they achieve, and the outcomes/ rewards they receive.
5. McGregor’s theory X and theory Y
Douglas McGregor formulated two distinct views of human being based on participation of workers. The first is basically negative, labelled as Theory X, and the other is basically positive, labelled as Theory Y. Both kinds of people exist. Based on their nature they need to be managed accordingly.
Theory X: The traditional view of the work force holds that workers are inherently lazy, self-centred, and lacking ambition. Therefore, an appropriate management style is strong, top-down control.
Theory Y: This view postulates that workers are inherently motivated and eager to accept responsibility. An appropriate management style is to focus on creating a productive work environment coupled with positive rewards and reinforcement.
Conclusion
Motivation is the state of mind which pushes all human being to perform things with the highest spirit and with positivity. The leader will have to ensure that every individual in the team and the organization is motivated. The various motivation theories helps in understanding what will motivate people.
Since you have mentioned that you have skill but aren't using them so I assume that you are capable of achieving anything just if you feel motivated enough to do so.
Anyone can motivate you, even non living things too. For example, you might wanna get early everyday in the morning. But everyday you effortlessly hit the snooz button and doze off, just because perhaps you are not feeling motivated or might be you think you have nothing to do after getting up early in the morning. Point is you can, but you are not doing it for whatsoever reasons. In a way you are losing out precious time which can be utilized for n number of productive works. In this case watching a video like this may motivate you and awaken your sleeping senses.But as the universal truth says, things are meant to be perished, this motivation will too pass away. It will slip through your thoughts same as the sand slips through ones hand. Its impact has short life span, where duration varies person to person. Some may be able to hold on to it for longer than others. But ultimately it will perish.
So then how one can feel motivated. The question might seem to be difficult. It's answer is far too easy but as all good things come at price. Motivation to has a price tag attached to it. And, it's price is your precious time which you need to put in to realize a objective, a purpose which you want to achieve. A dream may be which you wish for coming true a day. It could be anything from finding a job, making a career, falling in love or having a beautiful life. It could be very small or bigger than titanic. But you have to have a definite goal. How does it help you? So let me tell you a very simple incident which is quite logical and many a time happend to me. Perhaps many of us would identify with it. It goes like this, I always wish for getting up early in the morning. Many a times I woke up as soon as my alarm buzz. And without wasting anytime I just shut it out. (Notice that I didn't hit the snooze button) reason - I think I have nothing to do after getting up early in the morning. And I simply slip back in my bed to have another round of sound sleep. Scenario would have been different if I have a goal or a task to do like going for a walk or hitting the gym. The purpose keeps you going, it gives you reason to get up and run, run towards achievement of that goal. The point is this motivation will generate from within. And it will last longer than any other form of motivation. You could read self helping books, watch motivational stuff on web. They will feed your inner soul of motivation and fuel it just like food fuels your body.
So find a cause, take a step towards it, and be persistent in whatever you do. Finish what you have started before jumping out on any other thing. Hope this help.