Recent studies have focused on what makes us feel good at work. A recent TED talk by Dan Ariely concluded, “We really have this incredibly simplistic view of why people work and what the labor market looks like.”
His research found:
- We must see the fruits of our labor and knowing our work has made a difference will make us more productive.
- It seem obvious but the less appreciated the less motivated we are at work. This study also found that if we don’t feel appreciated we want more money to do the work.
- When we are faced with interesting problems to solve and the harder these problems are, we feel prouder and will continue to put more effort into a our work. My reading of this one is to not shy away form the difficult problems…embrace them.
- Giving value to others, knowing that our work will helps others will increase our motivation.
For more go to
http://blog.ted.com/2013/04/10/what-motivates-us-at-work-7-fascinating-studies-that-give-insights/