Motivation

• Motivation is a person’s grasp of what needs to be done and his or her drive to do it at any given moment. It’s the combination of a person’s choice to do some task, desire to expend the effort, and the drive to persist. It comes in three varieties. Extrinsic motivation comes from external rewards or punishments associated with the activity. Intrinsic motivation comes from your internal desire to do something simple because you enjoy it. Relational or Altruistic motivation arises from the need to connect with and help others. All three types typically coexist. Managers need to be concerned about the use of extrinsic motivation as it can easily undermine intrinsic motivation. See my summary of Drive by Daniel Pink for more on this subject.

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