Module 2: Motivating Self & Others Module

During the module, Motivating Self & Others Module, we thoroughly discussed reasons why
people become motivated and how people can become motivated. We set goals in every aspect of life,
purposefully or sometimes subconsciously. What causes people to achieve these with certain intensity is a
direct reflection of their motivation to reach it. Motivation is what causes people to finish that 26 th mile in
a marathon or work after hours to get excellent result on a presentation. Similarly, in a recent experience
that I have had, I was motivated to turn my summer internship into a career. Simultaneously, I believe the
group that I interned with was motivated to show me that their office was an operationally productive,
relationally fulfilling, as well as, self-fulfilling work place. We would know our goals had been reached
when a full-time offer was happily accepted.
After reading through the various motivation theories in the textbook, I tried to put explanations
on why I was motivated during my internship, I came up with McClellands Theory of Needs and the Self
Efficacy Theory. The need for achievement and for affiliation, as found in McClellands Theory of Needs,
were explanations that I found motivated me to achieve goals. I wanted to personally meet goals and
expectations that management and supervisors set for me to show them my potential as a future
employee. On the other hand, I wanted to feel a sense of belonging and friendship, and hoped that the
feeling would be reciprocated, thus helping me achieve my goal of receiving an offer. In addition to
McClellands Theory of Needs, I think the Self-Efficacy Theory was also fulfilled. The more tasks and
assignments I was given the more confident I became in my ability. As the internship matured and I was
given more complex tasks and more autonomy, the more motivated and confident I became in my work. I
appreciated the trust and responsibility my colleagues showed me and in turn was motivated to tackle
more challenging tasks. This self-assurance was reinforced by enactive mastery, as well as, verbal
persuasion from my supervisors.
Not only did I have intrinsic motivation to achieve and feel a part of the team, but the work
environment that my managers created also fed my motivation to perform at least at, but hopefully above,
their expectations. In the job characteristics model, two of the core job dimensions, autonomy and
feedback, became highly relevant in my job satisfaction. As I mentioned above, my supervisors
increasingly gave me more freedom and responsibility in my work. I felt ownership in the work I was
doing which increased my level of job engagement, as well as, my desire to impress my upper-level
colleagues, especially since they could put a name to the work. I appreciated their frequent feedback
which cleared any uncertainties about my performance. Our textbook also discusses how employee
involvement can improve motivation and job satisfaction. I observed various levels of participation, but a
fair amount of the employee involvement was in the form of participative management even though there
were different tiers of seniority within the office. Various levels of employment had their voices heard in
certain decisions and this was motivating for me to see as an intern knowing that if I get a job offer, that I
too may have my voice heard early on in an organization.
As I step into my new career this summer, Im sure that new goals will be set. Success will be
measured in different ways and a helpful tool that we covered during this module, 9 Things Successful
People do Differently, can help me manage these goals to reach success whatever it may be. Ill need to be
specific, self-actualizing, seize the moment, and try to continuously get better at the task at hand.
Hopefully, through communication and feedback my professional goals will also align with the
organizations goals, creating a more cohesive work unit.