At Top Advertising Solutions of Las Vegas, we know sometimes we get into those moments of existential crisis and question just why it is we’re doing what we’re doing. While many of us avoid actually addressing these internal inquiries, it’s important to be able to reassure ourselves of our efforts. It’s not just important individually, but in business as well. Because if we determine our efforts might be a losing battle, we can alter our behavior or change up our strategies where needed to achieve our goals. Understanding our motivations, or lack thereof, is essential to success. As it turns out, we are often primarily driven by two different types of motivation, and both have their benefits.

Intrinsic Motivation

Better understanding your own motivations can not only help you maintain your motivations when you feel them slipping, but also help you motivate others when they slip. And being able to understand the differences in motivations will help you determine what actions to take, if necessary. Intrinsic motivation is one type that drives your behavior to do things for the sake of doing them. That is, simply because you desire to do them. Intrinsic motivation works best when sincere praise is given, and positive feedback promotes autonomy and conveys attainable standards. When people are made to feel good about what they’re doing, they’ll continue to seek out that feeling and work because they want to.

Extrinsic Motivation

On the other side of the coin, extrinsic motivation is a desire to do something because of external factors. For example, instead of doing something because you want to, you do it because something will be attained as a result. That, or it’s done to avoid a negative outcome. While motivation acts as an internal influencer, determining the behavior that fulfills our needs, extrinsic motivation calls into question the definition of “needs.” If you need a task completed exceptionally, and your attempts at intrinsic motivation with your employees have been underwhelming, perhaps that reward (or threat) will deliver the results you want. But it’s important to use both types of motivation sparingly, and know which context works best as a whole and individually.

At Top Advertising Solutions, we know motivation isn’t always the easiest thing to bring with you to work, no matter how skilled or successful you may be. Finding a happy balance with both types of motivation can help your team work harder, smarter, and happier.

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