Applause, high-fives and candy
What motivates you? How do you encourage others to do good work?
We started working on potty training our son and it's so clear that praise is a motivator for him once he's gone on the potty. The other thing that helps motivate him to do it is some candy. With my daughter, it was a sticker chart for every time she went on the potty and also candy. And it's obvious that there is a sense of accomplishment when all of these things come together when I see the huge grin on his face in response to making it on the potty, receiving applause, some high-fives and a piece of candy.
Why do you do what you do? What is your motivator? Are you motivated by the approval of others? Are you motivated by a paycheck? Are you motivated by the sense of accomplishment and results? When you motivate others are you motivating them in a way that's motivating to them? Are you pushing them in ways that are also going to be good for them?
Motivators can be good and bad. In the example above I don't want my kid to think that every time he goes to the bathroom he will receive pomp and circumstance. So, that motivation won't be sustainable in the long term, but hopefully, he will understand the importance of not pooping in his pants and decide that even if he doesn't get all the attention and the candy in a couple months it's important to still make it to the potty.
I believe some of the best motivators are ourselves. When we're dependent on others to get us to do something we're placing others that are also, like us imperfect, as the driving force as to whether we get something accomplished. We also can tend to blame others if something doesn't happen. I think there's a place for rewards, praise, outside things influencing us, but there needs to be a drive deep within that's not dependent on the raise, the praise, or the candy.
We started working on potty training our son and it's so clear that praise is a motivator for him once he's gone on the potty. The other thing that helps motivate him to do it is some candy. With my daughter, it was a sticker chart for every time she went on the potty and also candy. And it's obvious that there is a sense of accomplishment when all of these things come together when I see the huge grin on his face in response to making it on the potty, receiving applause, some high-fives and a piece of candy.
Why do you do what you do? What is your motivator? Are you motivated by the approval of others? Are you motivated by a paycheck? Are you motivated by the sense of accomplishment and results? When you motivate others are you motivating them in a way that's motivating to them? Are you pushing them in ways that are also going to be good for them?
Motivators can be good and bad. In the example above I don't want my kid to think that every time he goes to the bathroom he will receive pomp and circumstance. So, that motivation won't be sustainable in the long term, but hopefully, he will understand the importance of not pooping in his pants and decide that even if he doesn't get all the attention and the candy in a couple months it's important to still make it to the potty.
I believe some of the best motivators are ourselves. When we're dependent on others to get us to do something we're placing others that are also, like us imperfect, as the driving force as to whether we get something accomplished. We also can tend to blame others if something doesn't happen. I think there's a place for rewards, praise, outside things influencing us, but there needs to be a drive deep within that's not dependent on the raise, the praise, or the candy.