Motivation at work is an essential ingredient for the success of your business. At Maslo.app, we are convinced that gamification can be a powerful driver of commitment and performance for your employees. Let's explore the key principles of motivation together and find out how our solution can help you create a stimulating work environment where everyone gives their best.
Understand the fundamentals of motivation at work
First of all, it is important to understand what motivation at work is. It can be defined as all the factors that push an individual to invest with enthusiasm and perseverance in their professional activity. The works of Abraham Maslow and his famous pyramid of needs have shown that motivation is not limited to remuneration, but involves a variety of human needs.
Indeed, an employee will be all the more motivated as his work meets not only “basic” needs such as job security and a living wage, but also to higher needs such as recognition, a sense of accomplishment or even the fact of contributing to a meaningful project. Thus, motivation appears as a multifactorial dynamic, both individual and collective.
Attention, a demotivation that sets in can have disastrous consequences: loss of productivity, absenteeism, increased turnover... Here are some signs that should alert you:
- Visible decrease in involvement and enthusiasm
- Withdrawal and fewer interactions with colleagues
- Manifestations of stress or chronic fatigue
- Recurring criticisms of the company or management
The 4 main types of employee motivation
To act effectively on motivation, it is necessary to understand its main drivers. We can distinguish 4 main categories of motivational factors
1. Extrinsic motivation
- Definition : Linked to elements external to the individual
- Examples : Remuneration, benefits, promotion...
2. Intrinsic motivation
- Definition : Linked to the pleasure and satisfaction derived from the activity itself
- Examples : Interest in the mission, feeling of accomplishment, creativity...
3. Individual motivation
- Definition : Linked to the aspirations and needs specific to each person
- Examples : Recognition, skills development, work/personal life balance...
4. Collective motivation
- Definition : Linked to the dynamics and the work environment
- Examples : Sense of the collective, positive relationships, shared values...
The challenge for companies is therefore to activate these various motivational “engines”, by relying on a range of complementary levers.
The 7 main motivational levers to activate
1. Giving meaning and an inspiring vision
The first fuel for motivation is the meaning that everyone finds in their work. More than ever, employees expect to understand how their individual mission contributes to a vision-oriented business project. A few ways to put meaning into the heart of daily life:
- Communicate regularly about the purpose and goals of the company
- Celebrate collective victories and highlight everyone's contribution
- Embody positive and inspiring leadership on a daily basis at all levels
2. Empowering through autonomy and trust
Autonomy is a great driver of involvement and creativity. In innovative companies, we focus on accountability and subsidiarity, giving teams the freedom to organize their work themselves. A few tips for creating a climate of trust conducive to engagement:
- Define a clear framework and then let everyone organize it flexibly
- Encourage initiative and see mistakes as an opportunity to learn
- Express your trust a prima facie and check afterwards only if necessary
3. Offer stimulating challenges in a progression path
To nourish motivation over the long term, each employee must be able to project themselves on a stimulating development path. It is essential to offer opportunities for evolution over time, with adapted challenges. Some principles to follow in order to design motivating courses:
- Attach SMART goals, not too easy or unattainable
- Vary activities and opportunities to develop skills
- Building personalized paths with key steps
4. Cultivate recognition and celebrate successes
To be recognized is to feel considered and valued in your work and your personality. It is a fundamental human need, a powerful driver of motivation and loyalty. Some ideas that are easy to implement on a daily basis:
- Say thank you and highlight efforts and progress in a specific way
- Organize fun challenges and reward individual and collective victories
- Set up a benevolent and regular feedback system
5. Create relationships and a positive team spirit
Working in a close-knit team where trust and good humor reign is a factor of motivation and development at work. The company has a role to play in developing a united and caring collective, for example:
- Organize convivial events and teambuilding moments
- Encourage mutual support, dialogue and the sharing of best practices
- Listen and deal with tensions constructively
6. Providing opportunities and supporting development
Being able to project yourself for the long term in the company while feeling supported in your development projects is a great source of motivation. A stimulating HR policy focuses on training and internal mobility, for example by offering:
- Varied training and opportunities to develop skills
- Regular career interviews with a personalized development plan
- Internal bridges to diversify your career and take on responsibilities
7. Ensuring a quality environment and working conditions
Finally, motivation also requires a pleasant and functional work environment, where everyone feels good to give the best of themselves. Some points of vigilance to improve the quality of life at work:
- Pay attention to the comfort and ergonomics of spaces and tools
- Balancing the workload and empowering success
- Listening to the needs and expectations of employees
To go further, here are some thoughts to think about as a team:
- What are the main sources of motivation and demotivation for us?
- Among the 7 levers, which should be strengthened as a priority?
- How to make work more fun and stimulating on a daily basis?
- What rituals should you put in place to regularly boost motivation?
Do you want to test an innovative and powerful tool to boost motivation and commitment? Gamification turns daily tasks into fun and rewarding challenges. Challenges between teams, quests to complete, visible progress, rewards to unlock... Game mechanics have a positive effect on motivation by stimulating pleasure, self-improvement and collective spirit. That's what the Maslo.app solution offers!
Deploy an effective motivation approach in 5 steps
Working on motivation cannot be improvised. To act effectively, nothing beats a methodical and collaborative approach, in project mode:
- Motivation diagnosis : questionnaires, surveys, participatory workshops... Take a look at motivation and identify the main irritants.
- Collective ideation : based on the diagnosis, organize brainstorming sessions to imagine innovative and unifying solutions together.
- Co-constructed action plan : with the teams and management, prioritize proposals and build a “Motivation” roadmap in 6 months, based on the 7 levers seen above.
- Agile experimentation : launch the first actions quickly, by communicating widely about the approach. Listen to feedback to make adjustments as you go.
- Impact measurement and anchoring : measure progress regularly and celebrate victories, no matter how small. See how to perpetuate the most motivating actions in corporate culture.
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Conclusion
Motivation at work is a fragile plant that must be cultivated with care. By consistently combining the 7 essential levers (meaning, autonomy, challenges, challenges, challenges, recognition, team spirit, development, working conditions), you will create a fertile ground for the sustainable commitment of your employees.
Maslo.app is fully in line with this global approach through gamification. Our solution allows you to simultaneously activate these various motivating factors, in a fun and digital way. The results are there: + 25% commitment, + 30% participation rate in challenges, + 15% growth in turnover among our customers!
Do you want to know more and find the spark that will ignite the motivation of your teams? Contact us to discuss your project!
