Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Motivating Forces
Last week in class we talked about what really motivates us. Sometimes we talk about fear, hope, rewards (MONEY!, anyone?), titles and recognition, etc. as being great motivators.
The genius of the discussion was when we talked about how we motivate others. But I realize the real motivation must come from inside. Self-motivate people are, after all, the easiest ones to lead. You just share the vision and they get to work.
Perhaps you’ve heard of Maslow. He established the commonly-studied hierarchy of human needs.
We first need to meet our physical needs, then establish safety, then our social needs (belonging), then ego/esteem needs (self-respect, accomplishment) and self-actualization (explain what this is).
But what I never realized was how this directly applies to (and was created to explain) motivation factors.
We are most motivated by the needs that are NOT being met.
For example: Have you ever noticed the lengths impoverished people go to get food? Digging in the garbage can, disease or danger mean almost nothing to them. Safety definitely does not come first.
Or, say you take a poor, newlywed college-student couple and offer the Mr. or Mrs. two jobs: one offers great environment and great people, the other pays $50/hr (pays rent and buys food). Which one do you think they might choose? (Which is the need the least met?)
They’d probably choose the money for food.
But if you take a middle-aged man who has a family, a nice house, enough money in his reserve bank, what will motivate him? More money? Or safety? Or would it be more along the lines of an opportunity to accomplish something great and work with awesome people? He probably isn't as motivated by the money or safety (which are already established) as he would be the opportunity to achieve something great.
Are you catching my drift?
Maslow taught that human beings are motivated most by the needs that are not being met.
What are some of the things that motivate you? Does this same trend hold true for you?
The genius of the discussion was when we talked about how we motivate others. But I realize the real motivation must come from inside. Self-motivate people are, after all, the easiest ones to lead. You just share the vision and they get to work.
Perhaps you’ve heard of Maslow. He established the commonly-studied hierarchy of human needs.
We first need to meet our physical needs, then establish safety, then our social needs (belonging), then ego/esteem needs (self-respect, accomplishment) and self-actualization (explain what this is).
But what I never realized was how this directly applies to (and was created to explain) motivation factors.
We are most motivated by the needs that are NOT being met.
For example: Have you ever noticed the lengths impoverished people go to get food? Digging in the garbage can, disease or danger mean almost nothing to them. Safety definitely does not come first.
Or, say you take a poor, newlywed college-student couple and offer the Mr. or Mrs. two jobs: one offers great environment and great people, the other pays $50/hr (pays rent and buys food). Which one do you think they might choose? (Which is the need the least met?)
They’d probably choose the money for food.
But if you take a middle-aged man who has a family, a nice house, enough money in his reserve bank, what will motivate him? More money? Or safety? Or would it be more along the lines of an opportunity to accomplish something great and work with awesome people? He probably isn't as motivated by the money or safety (which are already established) as he would be the opportunity to achieve something great.
Are you catching my drift?
Maslow taught that human beings are motivated most by the needs that are not being met.
What are some of the things that motivate you? Does this same trend hold true for you?
Thursday, November 12, 2009
HOPE
I thought it was a nice story, and it was nice to find it in the headlines of CNN. A coincidence, right?
Of course, I think not. They're headlining miracles! The liberal news source is headlining miracles. But not just any miracles. They're headlining Good Samaritan miracles. Did you see the other passengers save her life? And they didn't do it for a reward. They didn't do it to be seen or to have the pride. I mean, they were just acting instinctively. Just look at them frantically waving their arms!
Last time I checked, the only thing I saw on the local news from another country was the announcement that there was another conflict in the Middle East--but in order to hit international news, it's got to be a big event. Our local coverage of the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall's fall was just about as long as France's coverage is this woman's narrow escape from death. (It was Monday, by the way, and it changed the world 20 years ago, just in case you didn't notice.)
Why do we show these good stories? And how did that story make it to primetime news in all the way to France?
What is it that makes us--as a society--shun goodness in our news stories but seek desperately to flash it across our TV screens?
Is it a hint at something more? Like maybe the divine nature we each possess? We outwardly oppose virtue but find it a coincidence that some complete strangers saved a drunk woman's life?
I don't know about you, but I know there's something more that CNN won't find a report on anywhere. And that is the goodness of human beings. And it's not just cuz our mothers told us so, but because there's something more to our existence, to our being. As God's literal children, we're something more on the inside than the news will ever be able to help us understand.
What is it that makes us--as a society--shun goodness in our news stories but seek desperately to flash it across our TV screens?
Is it a hint at something more? Like maybe the divine nature we each possess? We outwardly oppose virtue but find it a coincidence that some complete strangers saved a drunk woman's life?
I don't know about you, but I know there's something more that CNN won't find a report on anywhere. And that is the goodness of human beings. And it's not just cuz our mothers told us so, but because there's something more to our existence, to our being. As God's literal children, we're something more on the inside than the news will ever be able to help us understand.
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