What’s your motivation for being productive at work? CEOs and management are probably asking themselves the same thing about their entire workforce, and are settling on work perks and praise as the way to drive employee success.
The idea of using praise as recognition for a job well done isn’t a new concept. As far back as grade one you might have received a gold star sticker for doing a good job on your homework—a gold star that not every student received.
“It isn’t just about the money,” says J.T. “When you have to spend 8+ hours/day at the job, you care about how happy the environment will make you. Savvy employers with great Employment Brands know that.”
But as J.T. O’Donnell outlines in her article, Addicted To Praise? How It May Affect Your Career, there’s a danger in the love of being praised: it can be addicting. Worse, your addiction to praise could disrupt your career. People have been conditioned to act a certain way in order seek incentives (this is known as “extrinsic motivation”). It’s possible to become engrossed in seeking extrinsic motivation to the point where you’ll always need the promise of an incentive to get work done, and you won’t be motivated to do anything for the simple satisfaction of accomplishment (known as “intrinsic motivation”).
Intrinsic motivation is important because managers tend to promote employees who go above-and-beyond their roles and responsibilities. If you want to climb the corporate ladder, you need to be self-motivated enough to create value even when it’s not asked of you (when there’s no extrinsic motivation). If you’re only ever willing to do work when there’s the promise of a reward at the end, you’ll only ever do what’s asked of you, and nothing more. And since employers consider cash (your salary) incentive enough, the carrot dangling at the end of the stick won’t always be there for you.
What To Do If You’re Addicted to Praise
Learn to be intrinsically motivated. Even if you work for a company that does constantly praise you, learning how to be happy without the promise of a reward will benefit you, personally and professionally, in the long run.
While you’re learning to be intrinsically motivated, you should also look for a job at a company that can keep your need for extrinsic motivation satisfied. Fortunately, companies are realizing the importance of employee engagement, and are focused on recruiting and retaining high-value employees. These companies strive to keep their employees happy, and while this doesn’t always mean a tangible reward, it does mean a fun, engaging, workplace, built on strong corporate culture that praises and recognizes its employees. These engaging environments will keep you happy, even if the pay is lower, and assist with your goal to become more intrinsically motivated.
“It isn’t just about the money,” says J.T. “When you have to spend 8+ hours/day at the job, you care about how happy the environment will make you. Savvy employers with great Employment Brands know that.”