WHAT IS MOTIVATION?

Harold D. Stolovitch & Erica J. Keeps

"They just aren't motivated to learn, no matter what I do."

"Why aren't they motivated?"

"Let's get a motivational speaker in. That should turn them on.

Familiar statements? Underlying all of these is another message: "Something's wrong with these people. They need fixing." Often, lack of motivation in the learning/workplace context is seen as an inherent deficiency in individuals.

In our studies and practice, we consistently find that so-called unmotivated people do not see themselves as such. In fact, they are usually amazed that others think they lack motivation. What is going on?

The basis of this apparent paradox comes from a misunderstanding about what motivation is. Most people use words like "interest," "fire in their bellies" or "positive attitude" to define it and characterize its absence with "lackadaisical attitude," "bored," "apathetic" or simply "just don't care." These fuzzy terms do little to help clarify the meaning of motivation. Superficial interventions such as motivational speakers and pep rallies have little to no lasting effect.

So what does?

Defining Motivation

Motivation is a key factor in learning and performance. It consists of three essential ingredients: commitment, engagement and persistence. Commitment means mentally deciding to undertake an activity or task (such as learning or work). Engagement refers to the actual initiation of action. Persistence means maintenance of the action or activity over time.

What Affects Motivation?

Three key variables strongly influence motivation: value, confidence and mood. Value is what that individual attributes to the task (e.g. wear safety goggles). Confidence is how capable or effective a person feels about succeeding at the task. Mood is the individual's general sense of well being.

How Does Each Variable Affect Motivation?

There is a linear relationship between value and motivation. The greater the value an individual attributes to the task, the greater the motivation. With confidence, the relationship is curvilinear. If someone feels under confident, he or she will lack motivation to learn or perform. Overconfidence also dampens motivation (e.g. "I don't have to wear safety goggles. I know what I'm doing. I'm not a wimp."). Positive mood increases motivation just as value does. Negative mood strongly depresses it.

What Can You Do to Affect Motivation in Learners and Performers?

The answer is not "throw a party." You can affect motivation - long-term - by increasing the value of what you would like your people to learn or perform. Show them the benefits in terms they value. Demonstrate what's in it for them. With respect to confidence, make clear that they can succeed if they try. Provide support and encouragement. Include challenges, as necessary, to dampen overconfidence. Balance support with challenge to produce optimal motivation. Finally, for mood, create a positive, non-threatening environment for learning and performance. Surround your targeted learners with people who are upbeat and who enjoy doing well.

Conclusion

Motivation is not a vague, fuzzy concept. It has been defined and studied. You can make a difference in other people's motivation - their commitment, engagement and persistence - by continuously building value, confidence and the right mood.

See Harold D. Stolovitch and Erica J. Keeps' latest book (June 2002), Telling Ain't Training, published jointly by the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) and the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI). For an autographed copy, click on Book Purchases .

© 2002 Harold D. Stolovitch & Erica J. Keeps


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