Motivation makes people do or avoid things. It can be both constructive and destructive.

Everyone is driven in different ways to do or avoid things. It depends on the context and personality type how someone can be motivated. In seminars, it's the trainer's job to identify this motivational mix in participants and inspire them.

We mainly distinguish between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

Intrinsic Motivation

Intrinsic motivation comes from within, like fun, joy, or interest. It shows through genuine interest and enjoyment in a task. You can tell when someone is intrinsically motivated because they are passionate about the task.

Example

Lena is fascinated by artistic portrait photography. Her fascination is so strong that she decides to dive deeper into it. She buys a camera, attends workshops, and spends 90% of her free time taking portraits. Her intrinsic motivation eventually allows her to turn her hobby into a career.

Extrinsic Motivation

Extrinsic motivation comes from external factors, like more money, job loss, social belonging, expectations, or recognition. Here, the person is driven by outside circumstances to complete a task or job without real interest. It's all about the "reward" from the task.

Example

Hans is a student and works part-time as a waiter. He wants to go on vacation with friends, but his job doesn't pay enough. So, he takes another job as a farm worker. He doesn't enjoy working in the fields, but the motivation to afford the vacation drives him to do it. Here, the motivation is the pay or the vacation with friends.

Below are some types of extrinsic motivation explained.

Towards-Motivation

Towards-motivation is driven by a specific goal, like a career promotion, running a marathon, or graduating with top grades.

Example

Frieda has been a store manager for years in a large supermarket chain. She learns a district manager position will soon be available. She's been waiting for this opportunity since finishing her training. She's worked overtime for years, always been available, and put her personal life aside for this chance.

Away-From Motivation

This motivation type is driven by the desire to change a situation. It's often triggered by strong emotional needs, like job dissatisfaction, moving due to landlord issues, or marital problems.

Example

Max moved 250 km away from home for a job offer years ago. He gets along with colleagues but hasn't made connections in the city. Over time, he becomes lonely and unhappy. One day, he can't take it anymore, quits his job, and moves back home.

Logical-Rational Motivation

Logical-rational motivation is when someone does or avoids something because it makes sense. Positive emotions are absent. This motivation is purely logical and practical.

Example

Fred wants to buy a new car. It should safely get him from A to B. A mid-range compact car would do. But Fred loves fast, stylish cars, which are out of his budget. He weighs the pros and cons and chooses the mid-range car. He needs it for daily tasks like shopping or commuting, so he skips the fast, stylish car.

Emotional Motivation

Emotional motivation is feeling-driven. People do things to evoke or avoid certain feelings, like doing something for fun, love, or to avoid pain.

Example

Lilly wants to do a year of Travel & Work in Australia. She loves koalas and kangaroos but dislikes poisonous spiders and snakes. She's introverted and would travel alone, so she carefully considers the pros and cons. In the end, she decides to go for the adventure to grow personally and character-wise.