What did you want to be when you grew up? Was it a doctor?
My guess is always doctor… or maybe it was firefighter or a
policeman. In second grade for career day we had to dress up as our future
profession on stage and tell the audience our name and what we were. My name is
Casey Rollins and I am going to be a florist when I grow up. Eventually I
switched my answer to mortician for a couple years. That idea also did not stick. So why did we pick certain jobs when we were
younger? Is it because you didn’t know many jobs, did you pick what sounded
like the most fun, or is it because you thought it would make a lot of money?
I came across an interesting statement this week which is
this: Yes, we all like to be paid, but money is not among the three most
important reasons why we work. According to Mulholland (2011) the three reasons
are:
1.
To have interesting work
2.
Expanding your skill set
3.
Being recognized for your work or the value of
what you do
I agree with this statement because all of the money in the
world would not ward off me becoming bored, possibly disrespecting myself
(depending what I was doing), or even compensate for basically living at work
unless I was wildly enthralled with what I was doing. Money alone does not cut
it for me. Funny enough when I get paid the first thing I think of is that I
got more vacation hours, but of course paying the bills also important.
Interesting work is very important to me because I have an
active mind and imagination. Education interests me and I find it very
fulfilling to be engaged in various subject matters throughout the day.
Although I am not involved in course content I like hearing from my students
about why a certain elective course would help them with their future career
goals. Working with online students at a worldwide campus is also a great match
for me because I love feeling connected to people all over the world. We learn
from others so to me there is no better way than to learn from my students.
Because I am engrossed in education it is important to me to
continue to expand my skill set. I will never reach a point where I just throw
my arms up and go okay that’s it I know everything I need or want to know. I
believe we should always strive to learn and grow. In my organization there are
many opportunities for this within the position and through other avenues. On
my first day my director went through the job expectations and other
information. I will always remember that she said that professional development
is encouraged. In many ways this has a second meaning, which is that the
organization does not strive to become stagnant. I am not content when I come
to a standstill and neither is my company.
One of the most demotivating things I have encountered is to
put a lot of effort into something and it not to be noticed. When I worked for
an eye doctor I went above and beyond everyday with customer service and even
with some of the clerical tasks. I was paid hourly and I soon learned that as
long as I showed up and mostly did my job it was the same as working circles
around the position. This was evident in my coworker’s attitudes. Although I
was there three years eventually I decided I should move on before I became
burned out and adopted a negative mentality.
When I am at work I give everything I have, but I also value
my personal time. Earlier I mentioned that I have a near Pavlovian response to earning
more vacation time (personal leave) each pay period. If you want to see me get
really competitive, and therefore productive, attach extra personal leave to it
and watch me go! I love to travel and am renewed and inspired in this way. Creativity
and innovation often come to me during my free time and I bring it back to the
work I do so it is important for me to have the ability to have time off.
How I do my work and manage my time is another huge aspect
for me so having autonomy is another major aspect for me. When I am accountable
for getting the work done I do not necessarily rely on a one size fits all
response so I like having the ability to tailor communications to each
situation. I feel I was hired because of my abilities, but also for my
judgment, so I like that I am not limited and am able to operate with relative
freedom. Without autonomy I would get bored and my organization would not see
how much I am capable of so it impacts my work in a positive way to have this
discretion.
Lastly, security is a motivator for me because without it I
would be preoccupied with fear. Although fear can be a very powerful motivator
for me it has to come from a certain place and wondering if I will have a job
next week is not the right place. To thrive I need to know that I can do more
than just play it safe and that would prevent me from tapping into my natural artistic
sensibilities. We often hear it is important to be ourselves. I am not my best
me when I am trying to fit into a prescribed formula of who or what that is,
otherwise we would all be static individuals or at least there would be a
strong risk of such standards.
Of all the things we could work for, out of the six unique
motivators that are meaningful to me, it is easy to see where money does not
make up for not having them and it is important as leaders for us to be able to
recognize the needs and wants from various employees. Where one this is important
to one person, it may not be to another.
Reference:
Mulholland, A. (2011). The three things we work for (money isn't one of them). Retrieved from: http://common.books24x7.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/toc.aspx?bookid=43753
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