Why do people do what they do? Motivation has three levels. Activities dictated by extrinsic motivation are done because they have to. The other two levels are governed by a person’s intrinsic motivation. These are the things a person thinks he should do and the things he wants to do. Behind the reasons one does something because one has to, lie values and a search for a balance between benefits and the time and energy expended to achieve them. Wants are those activities that bring rather than take energy. They are harder to realize and hardly change with time.
Prioritising tasks
When prioritizing tasks, it is noticed that they are divided into four types. Some are important and enjoyable to do, others are also important but although not enjoyable, one has the feeling that it is important to work on them, or one has made a commitment and must do them. Another type are tasks that are not so important but are pleasant to do, so they find their place higher than necessary in prioritization. The last type are those tasks that are neither pleasant nor important, so they often fall off the list.
Motives
David McClelland’s theory of human motivation identifies three motives that drive people to do what they do. These are the motives of achievement, affiliation and influence.
People with a clear achievement motive are constantly looking for ways to improve. They get energy from achieving goals, solving cases, and getting feedback on how far they’ve come on tasks. The problems they may encounter are micromanagement, the inability to stop pursuing a goal, and sometimes putting people first before goals.
The motive of affiliation is dominant in people who like to be part of groups and societies. Spending time with people brings them energy, and conflict and misunderstanding stress them out. They are good team players and usually have positive attitudes towards all people. It bothers them when they have an inability to part with people on the team, or when they are in a confrontational situation.
People with an influence motive enjoy opportunities to have a positive impact on others, to compete with others, and to win. They want to receive respect and recognition from others. Sometimes they are hindered by the fact that they prefer to delegate rather than perform tasks themselves.
A person usually has a combination of all three motives, but one is most dominant. Knowing the motives and applying them to daily life ensures more accurate prioritization of tasks. Better application means that instead of having depleted energy, at the end of the day one can feel energized by what has been accomplished.
