3 Ways To Light A Fire Under Your Employees Using Intrinsic Motivation

Are you struggling to find ways to motivate your employees? If you are, you’re not alone. Many managers and business owners struggle with this very same issue.

However, there is a way to light a fire under your employees and get them motivated – and it’s called intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is the type of motivation that comes from within oneself. It’s driven by a desire to do something for the sheer pleasure of it or because it’s personally meaningful.

In this article, we’ll explore 3 ways to use intrinsic motivation to light a fire under your employees and improve employee engagement.

1. Learn What Your Employees are Interested In and Love to Do:

The first step to motivating your employees through intrinsic motivation is to get to know them. Take the time to learn what it is that your team members are passionate about and what tasks they find most enjoyable. By doing this, you can tailor assignments to their skillset and interest and increase their level of engagement with their work. You could also consider having regular meetings with your employees to get regular feedback on how they are feeling and what they are struggling with. Doing this will give you a better insight into what areas you need to focus on to help them become more motivated and engaged. The key here is to understand your employees’ individual needs and to find tasks that tap into the motivation and interests of each employee. That way you can ensure that the work that you assign to each individual is both meaningful and enjoyable for them.

2. Make Sure Your Employees are Clear on the Company's Vision and Goals:

It’s important to make sure that your employees are clear on the company’s vision and goals. This will ensure that they are feeling motivated to work towards a greater cause that is aligned with the company’s objectives. One way to do this is to regularly communicate the company’s mission and objectives. This will help increase their motivation to push through difficult tasks and stay focused in their roles, as they can see how their work contributes to the achievement of the shared goal. You should also create individual goals that align with the company objectives and provide regular feedback with regard to these targets. This will provide clear direction for your employees and provide them with an incentive to continue growing and developing their skills.

3. Help Your Employees See How Their Work Contributes to the Company's Success:

It is crucial to help your employees understand the impact that their work has on the company’s success. This will help them to have a deeper appreciation for their job and the part that they are playing in creating something positive. One way to do this is to recognize your employees’ successes, both big and small. You could highlight their accomplishments at team meetings, or you could present them with awards or other forms of recognition. This will not only boost their self-esteem and increase their engagement, but it will also instill a sense of pride in their work. Another way to strengthen the connection between individual efforts and company success is to give your team members ownership of their work. Ask them for input and encourage them to take the initiative and make suggestions for improvement. This will help them to understand the positive contributions they are making and encourage them to take greater ownership of their work.

4. Align Your Team Members' Work With What Fuels Them:

Finally, aligning your team members’ work with what fuels them is a great way to increase motivation. Take the time to understand what each team member finds personally rewarding, and look for ways to integrate these passions and interests into their work. You can assign tasks to team members based on their strengths and interests. For example, if you learn one of your team members thrives on new feature development and another enjoys working on integrations, craft their tasks so each is playing to the combination of their interests and strengths. This will help to increase their motivation as they are engaging in work that is meaningful and personally satisfying. Using a tool like Sandbox can ensure everyone stays intrinsically motivated by aligning the right talent to the proper task.

Motivating your employees is essential if you want them to be productive and engaged in their work. Intrinsic motivation can be a great tool to use to light a fire under your employees and get them excited about their job. Try learning what your employees are interested in and what makes them tick, make sure your employees are clear on the company’s vision and goals, help them understand the impact of their work on the company’s success, and align their work with what fuels them. These are all effective ways to motivate your employees and help them stay engaged and productive.

For more guides to intrinsic motivation, visit SandboxTogether.com/blog