Motivation and Drive – Two Sides of the Same Coin
Estimated Read Time: 6 Min.
Actions speak louder than words. In our fast-changing and increasingly complex world, power is in the hands of those who act decisively and consistently. Persistence pays. We are commanded in ads to “Just do it.” This mantra is all about taking action. It says that being able to take action, stay-the-course and persevere in an endeavor is more valuable than being smart, skilled or a smooth talker. It is certainly true that most leaders would prefer to have highly-motivated, driven employees than ones who are geniuses, talented or personable, but don’t get the job done.
So are motivation and drive the same thing? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, they’re not. Motivation is defined as “the willingness to do something, or something that causes willingness.” Motivation is about wants and needs and what we desire to do. Drive, on the other hand, is defined as: “a planned effort to achieve something.” The focus is on action. Someone who is driven puts forth the effort to get things done. So while both motivation and drive are related to achieving goals, they’re significantly different in meaning. Motivation alludes to the desire to do something whereas drive refers to the initiatives undertaken to do it.
Most of the time, motivation and drive work hand-in-hand. Motivation and drive go together like bread and butter. First there is a desire to do something and then there is the effort put forth to make it happen. They are the dynamic duo that turn goals into results and dreams into reality. Unfortunately, though, they don’t always come in equal supply. A person can be motivated and yet have no drive. And a person can be very driven and yet lack motivation.
Scientists have different opinions about where motivation comes from and what motivates us as well as what drives us and how to increase our drive. Are we born with a certain amount of motivation and drive? Or is it learned? Can it be increased? Can we self-motivate? Can someone else stimulate our motivation? What about drive? Is that fixed or can that be boosted? Motivation and drive are influenced by many different factors including your internal physiological state, current environmental conditions, and past history and experiences. They are not static. Let’s look at each.
About Motivation
Motivation arises from needs and wants. According to researchers Morsella, Bargh & Gollwitzer, “some things that motivate us to act are biological (hunger, tiredness, thirst, etc.), while others have personal and social origins. We are motivated to seek food and water but we are also motivated by our need for social approval, acceptance, as well as the need to achieve, and the desire to take or to avoid risks.”
Motivation is generated through a unique meshing of who you are, what you’ve learned and how you are being affected or impacted by the world around you. That’s why you can be highly motivated for some tasks and yet completely demotivated to do other tasks. And that’s also why someone who was extremely motivated working at one company might not be motivated at all doing the same exact job at another company. A person’s motivation might be stimulated in one setting and completely suppressed in another.
Motivation can increase or decrease. There are many things we can do or experience that can increase our motivation. And we can do things to intentionally increase motivation. That may explain why people and companies are willing to pay a lot of money to hear motivational speakers at conferences. And a person can even increase their own motivation. But knowing how to motivate yourself or others is tricky. That’s because there are so many variables that affect motivation that it is not always so clear to determine what levers to pull to boost motivation in oneself or others. If it were easy to get everyone motivated, everyone would be super motivated. But, instead, a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2021 found that 42% of U.S. adults under the age of 50 reported difficulties finding the motivation to work since the beginning of the pandemic. Also, 53% of respondents between the ages of 18-29 expressed difficulties motivating themselves. For businesses, that could be a big problem.
But, if motivation is just desire, not action, why does motivation matter? It’s because motivation can trigger drive. The problem is that motivation is fleeting. We get motivated to do things all the time, but more often than not don’t actually do it. Our brains give us a dopamine high and release serotonin when we watch or read speeches, videos, and motivating posts. We become motivated by speakers, articles, and programs to start something new. But not long after being exposed to those ‘motivating’ things, we go back to our normal lives, giving little effort to what we were so excited about at that moment. But there are some actions in the workplace that do provide long-term motivation. More about that later.
About Drive
While motivation is about desire, drive is action-oriented. And it is like a muscle that is built up the more often it is used. It takes time and discipline to develop internal drive. Drive knows that it takes hard work, consistency, and perseverance to achieve results. Motivation kick-starts the process but then drive takes over when motivation wears off. Drive is what propels you to act and then keep going on tasks you pursue whether you want to, have to or someone told you to. And, it is a subject that has been studied a lot. While this may seem like a very straightforward topic, drive is actually is a very complex Executive Function.
While drive may be activated by motivation, it fluctuates depending on the costs and benefits of the task as it relates to the specific needs and situation. Finding the will within to “do” – even when you’re tired; even if you’re discouraged; event when you’re unsure; and even in the face of adversity and naysayers – is what drive is all about. It’s what allows you to win the race when so many others quit. That makes drive your most valuable internal resource. Drive is what pushes you act on the things that are desired regardless of obstacles or impediments. It is the internal fuel used to pursue goals and complete tasks. It is what propels you to create and achieve. One could argue that this is the number one factor underlying success… the wind beneath the wings so to speak.
What Demotivates and Kills Drive
There are countless articles and books that discuss ways to motivate employees. And, there is just as much research, if not more, on what to do to increase employee action to produce results. That’s because employee motivation and drive are key to an organization’s success. It’s the level of commitment, planning and energy that employees bring to the role every day. Without it, companies experience reduced productivity, lower levels of output and can fall short of reaching important goals. It can even affect turnover. Here are eight things that diminish motivation and destroy drive.
1. Micromanagement – This saps the life out of employees, causing apathy at work. A consistent pattern of micromanagement tells an employee there is no trust in his/her work or judgment. This triggers disengagement.
2. Lack of progress – Employees want to feel that their work matters. When a new idea a worker tries to implement has to go through endless layers of red tape or just isn’t approved, employees lose passion. Organizations should also be mindful of unnecessary rules that don’t actually benefit the company. When employees feel controlled rather than efficient, they bristle.
3. Job insecurity – Employees who work for unstable companies or in jobs deemed expendable will only invest enough to keep getting their paycheck while seeking other employment.
4. No confidence in company leadership – Employees who lose faith in where the company is heading will cease to wholeheartedly follow. Bosses who inspire confidence, who show faith in their employees, and who communicate an inspiring vision are rewarded with a workforce that is ready to get things done.
5. Lack of recourse for poor performance – Employees like to be rewarded and recognized for their contributions. If, instead, mediocre workers are getting the same treatment as strong performers, highest performers will turn off or leave. Companies that don’t deal with performance issues bring everything down.
6. Poor communication – In the absence of information, rumors thrive. Employees who are kept in the dark will end up guessing, confused, and frustrated.
7. Unpleasant coworkers – The importance of working with nice coworkers can’t be overstated. Friendships make up for a lot of ills. Any employees who are sidelined and excluded are more likely to leave a company. As Gallup research has shown for years, close work friendships boost employee satisfaction by 50% and people with a best friend at work are seven times more likely to engage fully in their work.
8. Boredom – 55% of Gen X and Gen Y workers believe that finding a job that’s personally fulfilling and engaging is worth sacrifices in salary.
Boosting employee motivation and drive doesn’t always come easily. These are things that workplace leaders need to nurture and monitor. But they can be increased! Next week, we’ll examine the types of things that can increase employee motivation, and then ways to help strength drive. Stay tuned!
Quote of the Week
“If I had to select one quality, one personal characteristic that I regard as being most highly correlated with success, whatever the field, I would pick the trait of persistence. Determination. The will to endure to the end, to get knocked down seventy times and get up off the floor saying, ‘here comes number seventy-one!’.” Richard Devos
© 2022, Keren Peters-Atkinson. All rights reserved.
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