Motivation and Improving Workplace Performance

Alignment of aims, purpose and values between staff, teams and organization is the most fundamental aspect of motivation. The better the alignment and personal association with organizational aims, the better the platform for motivation. Where people find it difficult to align and associate with the organizational aims, then most motivational ideas and activities will have a reduced level of success.

Motivation is a complex area. It's different for each person. Nudge theory is an example of a powerful change-management concept that emerged in the early 2000s. It's extremely helpful in understanding, teaching, and to a degree managing the ways that people's thinking and decisions are influenced by indirect factors, rather than direct pressure.

Motivational receptiveness and potential in everyone changes from day to day, from situation to situation. Get the alignment and values right, and motivational methods work better. Motivational methods of any sort will not work if people and organisations are not aligned. People are motivated towards something they can relate to and something they can believe in. Times have changed and people want more. You should view the following motivational methods and ideas as structures, activities as building blocks, to be used when you have a solid foundation in place. The foundation is a cohesive alignment of people's needs and values with the aims and purpose of the organisation.

This section focusses on the various motivational theories and models described by leaders in business and management.

This section focusses on the application of the afore-mentioned motivational theories to improve performance within the workplace, at a team or an individual level.

This section contains the end of course quiz - a test of the progress you have achieved throughout this topic.