Motivation and Frustration in the Workplace: A Guide
What is Work Motivation?
The motivational process is defined as the impulse that leads individuals to act to meet certain needs and achieve goals. From a company’s perspective, it can be understood as the ability to get employees to willingly perform their assigned work. The principles of motivation are:
- No one wants to do something that goes against their interests.
- A person joins an organization to meet their needs.
- The objectives of the company become those of the worker as they satisfy their interests.
Therefore, we can say that motivation is the feeling or energy that drives people to act in a certain direction.
Main Theories of Motivation
Various theories of motivation address the incentives that motivate people to act in a certain way. Some theories focus on discovering what motivates individuals: these are content theories. Others are concerned with how motivation occurs: these are process theories.
Content Theories
Motivation is not an impulse but a state of prioritized needs.
When a person meets the requirements of one level, they will be motivated to achieve others on a larger scale.
The most basic needs are at the base of the pyramid. We define them as follows:
- Physiological: food, rest, water, protection.
- Security: protection against possible hardships and dangers.
- Social: giving and receiving affection, being accepted by others, etc.
- Esteem: self-confidence, competence, achievement, etc.
- Self-actualization: developing one’s potential, being creative, etc.
To motivate a person, it is necessary to discover what level of the hierarchy they belong to and provide incentives that apply to that level.
The Two-factor theory proposes the idea that workers maintain a balance between satisfaction and dissatisfaction with their work.
It proposes two types of factors that influence motivation: hygiene needs and motivating needs.
The learned needs theory is based on the idea that human needs are learned during childhood and are related to their social and cultural environment. Different contexts lead individuals to learn different behavior patterns and, consequently, manifest different intensities for each need.
Humans act primarily through four impulses:
- Achievement motivation: striving for the best possible results.
- Affiliation motivation: the impulse to establish or maintain relationships.
- Motivation for competition: the impulse to achieve high-quality work tasks.
- Motivation for power: the impulse to control resources.
The predominance of one impulse over others causes people to have different job prospects.
Process Theories
According to the expectancy theory, worker motivation depends on the intensity with which they want to achieve a goal and how likely they believe they are to achieve it. A worker’s performance depends not only on their effort but also on other external factors that the individual cannot control.
Goal-setting theory argues that motivation at work is a conscious activity, and that the higher the goals an individual sets, the higher their level of performance will be.
The equity theory focuses on fairness in the workplace. This theory holds that individuals make comparisons between the contributions they make and the remuneration they receive from the company, as well as comparisons with their colleagues. People are motivated to work when there is a balance between the effort they put in and the reward they receive.
Motivational Techniques
Several techniques propose various strategies to increase individuals’ work motivation and promote self-motivation and commitment.
Promotion at Work
Companies have traditionally understood promotion to a higher position as the only way to advance within the organization.
Salary Policy
Even though it is known that money is a primary motivator for young people, economic incentives are often insufficient to resolve motivational issues. Companies seek ways to improve motivation and performance beyond monetary rewards.
Every organization has different economic incentives based on the interests of its workers. These incentives can include prizes, trips, bonuses, etc.
Work Environment
This refers to everything that surrounds the worker in their job, including the work itself.
Within the work environment, we can make the following classifications:
- Physical environment: temperature, noise, humidity, vibration, etc.
- Psychological and social environment: the introduction of new technologies and automation of production processes can affect communication and relationships with others.
Person-Job Fit
Recruitment departments increasingly focus on finding the right person whose skills and characteristics fit the job offered.
Psychological Contract
When a person starts working in a company, there is a set of expectations or agreements between the individual and the organization, even if these are not formally written down.
Working Atmosphere
Motivational techniques influence worker satisfaction and, therefore, contribute to creating a positive working atmosphere.
Self-Motivation
It is common to hear a worker say, “I am not motivated,” in response to low job performance. However, we rarely ask the question: “What can I do to motivate myself?” It is easier to criticize and find external causes for lack of motivation than to take an active role in improving the situation.
Self-Esteem
Self-esteem is the positive or negative opinion you have of yourself, including how you see yourself, what you think of your abilities, etc. This concept is crucial because your self-assessment influences your behavior and what you do in life. In the professional field, positive self-esteem facilitates communication with colleagues, encourages risk-taking, and helps individuals view failure as a learning experience.
Assessing Motivation
Numerous methodologies can be used to diagnose and assess employee motivation. The most commonly used research instruments are:
- Employee attitude assessments: These systems can detect whether employees display a positive or negative attitude towards their roles.
- Questionnaires or surveys: These typically involve written responses and address opinions, interests, etc.
- Interviews: These can be structured or free-flowing verbal exchanges.
- Surveys: These are used to obtain quantitative assessments of a group of workers’ attitudes.
- Analysis of working conditions: This involves examining documents, statistics, reports, etc.
Motivational Techniques for Behavior Management
Techniques that effective leaders use to motivate their workers include:
- Inspiring confidence:
- Possessing significant expertise in the tools used for work.
- Responding to questions and explaining reasons.
- Persevering in achieving goals:
- Believing in the importance of striving for achievement.
- Finding the best methods to achieve goals.
- Communicating effectively:
- Clearly explaining objectives and actively presenting them.
- Considering the perspectives of others.
- Listening attentively:
- Listening with an open mind.
- Demonstrating a sincere desire to understand.
- Understanding personal reactions:
- Showing genuine concern for the well-being of subordinates.
- Recognizing that people’s behavior is the result of many different forces.
- Acting with objectivity:
- Not allowing the feelings of others to unduly influence your own.
- Making decisions based on all available facts.
- Acting with honesty and determination:
- Providing subordinates with clear feedback on their performance.
- Making decisions when necessary.
Job Training
According to the revised Workers’ Statute Law, workers have the right to promotion and on-the-job training, which in turn implies a duty for the employer. This includes the following rights:
- The ability to take necessary leave to attend examinations and choose shifts accordingly.
- The adaptation of normal working hours to accommodate training courses.
Concepts and Objectives
The concept of training used here goes beyond a simple teaching-learning process. It is seen as a means of intervention to prevent psychosocial risks.
Currently, companies seek workers with skills that cannot be replicated by machines.
The Training Plan: Methodology and Evaluation
It is essential to balance the needs of workers and the organization. The first step is to consider the need for training in relation to the current job.
Once training needs are identified, programming should be done by setting the objectives to be achieved.
In terms of content and pedagogical principles, we must recognize that learning is more effective when participation is active.
Frustration
People do not always satisfy their needs. Often encounter obstacles to the achievement and cause frustration.
Frustration can be defined as a state of emotional stress that occurs when an obstacle appears to reach its goal.
How to overcome frustration
Some people adapt to the new situation, whereas others come to illnesses such as depression.
Frustration creates unpleasant situations at work, producing a tense working environment for the individual and those around him.
If the person missed is a co-worker who acts aggressively, we offer our help. Through dialogue we will make the affected person explain your situation and advise them to search for other solutions.
When we affect ourselves we can apply these tips to overcome the frustration.
- Prevent the situation frustrating.
- Avoid the influence on our behavior.
- Avoid aggressive behavior toward others.