How to Motivate Government Employees
Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivators
"The most important thing about a
commander is his effect on morale."
-- Field
Marshall William Slim
Few things have a bigger impact on the effectiveness of an organization than the energy its employees bring to their work. We are all driven by a combination of internal forces (intinsic motivators) and external factors (extrinsic motivators). Both sources of motivation are important, and an employee's immediate supervisor plays a pivotal role in influencing whether they love coming to work every day -- or dread it.
Intrinsic Motivation
Intrinsic motivators are internal sources of energy, such as feeling that one is contributing to a larger purpose, is exceptionally good at their job, and/or has ownership of their work (including some control over how they do it). These factors fuel the "fire in the belly" and give them great pride in their work. This is not something we, as leaders, can do to our employees. We can, however, create a climate that taps into these intrinsic motivators.Daniel Pink breaks intrinsic motivation into three categories: Purpose, Automony, and Mastery. Kenneth Thomas breaks intrinsic motivation into similar components, calling them Meaningful Work, Choice, and Competence. Thomas also adds a fourth category: Progress.
For specific resources on each element of intrinsic motivation, please see the following pages:
- Purpose: How to Make Work Meaningful
- Autonomy as a Source of Motivation
- Mastery as a Source of Motivation
Extrinsic Motivation
Extrinsic motivators are factors that come from external sources, such as pay, promotions, and recognition. These are very important to morale and can provide employees a short-term burst of motivation. It is important to get extrinsic motivators "right" because when employees don't feel appreciated or perceive pay, promotions, and awards to be unfair, morale -- and motivation -- can plummet. For resources on extrincic motvation, please see the following page: