Lesson 9: Creating a Motivating Climate Organizational, Interpersonal and Group Communication

--Motivation: The force within an individual that influences or directs behavior--

So what motivates me to act? It depends on what the situation is. For some things it's obvious. If it's something I want the motivation is intrinsic. When the goal is to achieve something others expect of me, it's extrinsic. For the achieving of other goals, however, the motivation is not so clear. Take, for example, the completing of this reflective journal/blog. I feel it is mostly busy work. I don't feel that I benefit from it or that it contributes to my nursing abilities in anyway. So, there is definitely not any intrinsic motivation there. However, I want to graduate with my Bachelors degree, and to do so I need to pass this class, so there in lies some intrinsic motivation. Passing this class requires that I read the text and write these blogs, and that brings in the extrinsic motivation. 

With the majority of things in my life, however, the majority of the motivation comes from inside me. I have set goals for myself and I want to achieve them, so the motivation is intrinsic. Even with my career. I have always wanted to be a nurse and help people. The decision was never because of money, or scheduling, but because I have an inherent desire to take care of people. I think my classmates have heard me say at least 100 times over the last three semesters that if I could have provided for myself and family by remaining a CNA and providing the hands on bed side care that I love, I would have stayed a CNA forever. But, I do need to provide for myself and my family and so I require higher pay, which is definitely an external motivation. 

The way with which I perform my duties in my job are motivated intrinsically as well. Before starting my job at the boys ranch, I worked in geriatrics for almost 14 years. I worked hard and did my job to the best of my ability because I loved my residents and wanted them to have the best care possible. I did it regardless of pay or staffing. At the last facility I worked, the memory support unit had an RN that was the coordinator of care for that section of the facility. From the moment she started the moral of the staff, the residents, and the resident's families changed. This nurse did not know how to motivate effectively. She often cut employees down to others in the same position to try and motivate them to do better. Instead she only succeeded to violate the trust of the staff. When I approached her and directly brought this to her attention she became defensive and placed blame on the fact that she was new to the facility and trying to fit in. Things never changed and staff continued to distrust any praise she gave them directly as it was nullified by the things that were said behind their back. 

I feel that managers can have such a positive impact on motivating their staff. Simple words of praise and recognition can make a large impact on increasing the spirit of morale and a desire to do their best work. Also, when I work with other staff and team members who are appropriately motivated, it motivates me to work at a level that exhibits my best self and best abilities.