There are many theories and insights that management psychologists and behaviouralists have come up with about human motivation. Certainly this is a complex area in terms of human energy and behaviour. What most specialists agree, however, is that:

? Motivation comes from within; it is drawn out of individuals, not imposed on them.
? Motivation is multi-dimensional and there is no single universal answer about what motivation is, true for all time and all people.
? Some things motivate and encourage extra effort; others only cause dissatisfaction by their absence.
? Clear goals are an aid to motivation: they enable individuals to know what to aim for, and feedback gives an energizing sense of progress.
? Increasingly, ‘carrots’ are seen as generally more effective to foster sustained motivation than ‘sticks’.

To foster long-term, sustained motivation, recent thought is that managers must inspire employees to draw their motivation from inside rather than rely on external factors such as pay.

There are eight fundamental needs that motivate employees in the long term and which are shared to varying degrees by us all. These are:
Desire for activity.

People want to be active and involved. In their personal lives most people avoid boredom and monotony. Yet at work employees are expected to accept boring, repetitious, monotonous jobs without complaint.
Desire for ownership.

Owning things makes people feel better about themselves. ‘Psychological’ ownership is even more important than ‘physical’ ownership. Employees want to psychologically own their work. They want input into their work and want to feel responsible for their jobs.
Desire for power.

People want to control their destiny. They don’t want to feel powerless over external forces shaping their lives. With fewer top-down, control organizations more and more employees are demanding their freedom back.
Desire for affiliation.

People are social creatures. They like to interact and socialize with one another, though the degree of sociability will vary. Social support and helping relationships are among the many benefits provided by work.
Desire for competence.

This is the core of self-esteem. People welcome opportunities to feel more competent. Work can provide these opportunities.
Desire for achievement.

It is important for people to succeed at something. Under the right conditions, employees will be willing to work hard and overcome obstacles to achieve a goal.
Desire for recognition.

People want to feel appreciated by others and be positively recognized for their efforts. Recognition is a powerful force which has the capability to unleash energy and motivation.
Desire for meaning.

People want a reason for doing something. They want reassurance that their efforts, however small, are making a difference.

We advocates that the manager finds out which of these eight desires the individual most wishes to satisfy and then facilitate ways of helping the employee achieve these desires.

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