Motivation

How it is used

Managers talk about team motivation, staff motivation and what drives people. A common distinction is intrinsic motivation, which comes from the work itself, and extrinsic motivation, which comes from rewards such as pay and bonuses. The verb is motivate.

Example sentences

1. Motivation dropped sharply after the bonus scheme was cancelled.

2. For most of our engineers, the main motivation is solving difficult problems.

Common collocations

• staff motivation
• lack of motivation
• intrinsic motivation
• boost motivation
• keep motivation high

Related terms

• moraleThe general level of confidence, energy and satisfaction in a team or workplace, which shows in how people feel about their work and the future.
• incentiveSomething, such as a bonus, a commission or an extra day off, that is offered to encourage people to work harder or to behave in a particular way.
• recognitionPublic or private praise and appreciation for someone's work or achievement, such as a thank-you, an award or a mention in a team meeting.
• employee engagementHow committed, involved and enthusiastic employees feel about their work and their organisation, which affects how much effort they put in and whether they stay.
• burnoutA state of physical and emotional exhaustion caused by long-term stress at work, often with low motivation and a feeling of being less effective.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

• motivation · Psychology

More terms: Motivation and Feedback

• feedback
• constructive feedback
• one-on-one
• team building