MSLD520 - Module 5 - What makes us feel good about work? - Madeline Campbell


There are numerous things within my position that motivates me to work hard and with a purpose. The first would be my family and working for them. I know the current position I carry is very important to me, my husband’s life, and educational goals. Working at Embry-Riddle was a goal of mine before I graduated with my undergraduate in 2016. I reached that goal 2.5 years later, but it was something I was able to achieve, to become a part of the ERAU family and what it consists of. Therefore, with that in mind, family is my first goal. I work hard to help support a life with my husband, to save for our future children, to provide support and care of our family members to bless them and to give to others within our community that are in need of groceries, or a meal, etc. I go to work every day with this in mind and grateful for my position at Riddle. Much of my personal beliefs, ethics and morals also play a role in going to work and working hard for others and not my own personal goals. I of course hope to achieve “daily tasks” at work, but my overall goals are much more. Currently, there is an excess amount of work to be done, where I could work 24/7 and never be done! But my ultimate goals, outside my office tasks, are to be a kind and hard worker to help develop a strong team and build a new, fresh foundation for my department; to help motivate change and implement that where need be.

My personal fulfillment is not solely paired in doing my job “well” but learning within my position and growing. This is my key motivator as an admission counselor. Within this position, once you learn your daily tasks and the general information, there is not much room for growth; therefore, having other goals is motivating for me throughout daily work. Praise from my superiors is not a goal or a motivator for me, as I have learned their management style. Within my department, there are different motivators depending on the worker at hand. I know for some it is to support their family and children. Others find self-importance and fulfillment by “visiting one more school than you” or taking more phone calls than you throughout the day. Within our management team, I do see motivation as a key aspect that can be built upon for our team to thrive within their positions. As Dan Airley stated in his Ted Talk titles, What makes us feel good about our work (2012), “So when we think about labor, we usually think about motivation and payment as the same thing, but the reality is that we should probably add all kinds of things to it -- meaning, creation, challenges, ownership, identity, pride, etc.” Upholding motivators that are not tied to a dollar sign or position title are key to life-long career happiness. Daniel Pink’s Ted Talk also discussed how autonomy or “uncommon” work situations motivate an individual more than monetary incentives. I know this to be true from personal experience within my current position.  A few months ago, upping salaries was a common discussion in order to “get you to stay.” Not that increased salary isn’t nice to have, but it did not and does not motivate me to work harder. As Whetton and Cameron state, “motivation is manifested as work effort and effort consists of desire and commitment. This means that motivated employees have the desire to initiate a task and the commitment to do their best” (2016, p. 286). I do have the motivation to put my best foot forward in all that I do for Embry-Riddle. Honesty, integrity and truth are pillar motivators for me at work.

References
Ariely, D. (2012). What makes us feel good about our work? Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_ariely_what_makes_us_feel_good_about_our_work?language=en

Esque, T. J. (2015). Motivation 3.0: A User’s Guide. Performance Improvement, 54(4), 8–14. https://doi-org.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/10.1002/pfi.21471

Pink, D. (2009). "The puzzle of motivation". Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation/transcript?language=en
Whetton, D. A. & Cameron, K. S. (2016). Developing management skills, 9th ed. Boston, MA: Pearson.

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