Manager motives

SEPARATE EACH DISCUSSION AND RESPONSES

INITIAL DISCUSSION:

Who is responsible for your motivation at work? You or your manager?

CLASSMATE POST 1:

Who is responsible for your motivation at work? You or your manager?

Both. It is up to your manager and the company that you work for to provide you with your basic needs in order to be content and able to focus on your duties. This falls under Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs that states, “Individual’s most basic needs must be met before they become motivated to achieve higher level needs.” Mark, 2014. Once these basic needs are met, then the Hertzberg theory of Two-Factor Theory of Motivation comes into play. In your workplace you need to have a manager that helps to motivate you by making sure you feel supported, you feel secure in your job and you have a plan to progress in the company if you so desire. This theory summed up says that if you have a manager and a company that supports you then the motivation will be intrinsic. You will be more apt to go above and beyond. I feel that you need to also take some ownership in this to be sure you are communicating with your manager what you need to be successful. You cannot expect your manager to read your mind.

As a manager, you need to be aware of what your team is comfortable with in regards to communication. Having weekly or bi-weekly one-on-one meetings with your team to understand what they are working on and if there are challenges or successes that you can support and praise them for. When your team feels connected, they are more motivated at work.

CLASSMATE POST 2:

Who is responsible for your motivation at work? You or your manager?

I believe both yourself and your manager are responsible for motivation at work. For yourself, you have to find that drive that makes you want to get things done. That drive can come from many things. You may strive to be a respected member of your team, or you may want to produce products that impress your boss which could possibly result in a raise. Whatever the case may be, you have to find that energy from somewhere in yourself that makes you want to do the work. I personally find the motivation to do my job, and for about everything I do really, from my family. I want to be a good example for my kids and I want my family to be proud of my accomplishments. This motivates me to work hard.

Your manager should be a source of motivation at work as well. For me, my manager motivates me to work hard by being supportive of my efforts and rewarding me at appraisal time for the work that I have accomplished. He provides feedback and clarification when he sees something that needs to be improved. He does this in a manner that is effective and promotes change. In my mind, a manager of this sort motivates his personnel as they feel like valued members of the team. On my team, we feel like our opinions and ideas are valued. His actions motivate us to work harder and we each feel like we have an impact on the overall mission.