What drives New Employees to Grow and Develop?

Rachael Wilterdink > Employment > What drives New Employees to Grow and Develop?

In the seventh blog in the Employee Life Cycle series, the topic is the growth and development of new employees. What motivates people is not always what we think it is. During my education and my career, I learned about different motivation theories, and I think there’s a lot of truth to them. Let’s discover more about what drives us.

Intrinsic versus Extrinsic Drive

Intrinsic

I have always been intrinsically (or internally) driven. No one needed to tell me that it was critical to get good grades or inspire me to achieve – I did that all on my own – it came from inside because it’s who I am. This drive is part of my personality and pushes me to grow and develop in my life and career. I find this to be an asset that most employers appreciate.

woman using laptop and drinking beverage in bed

Extrinsic

People who are extrinsically (or externally) driven need someone to kick them in the butt or offer them a reward to get them to do what they need to do. Unfortunately, I see this trait in a couple of my children (they didn’t inherit this from me). I can’t relate to people who don’t have any internal drive. People driven by the external tend to procrastinate, and somehow, they think it’s a good thing. Oddly, they can produce amazing things when they wait until the last minute to do something (but I don’t encourage this behavior).

Growth versus Fixed Mindset

Growth Mindset

I also have a growth mindset, but it wasn’t always so. Although I grew up with a solid intrinsic drive, I became complacent and comfortable with the status quo over time. At some point, I was satisfied that I had learned most of what I needed to know to succeed. Boy, was I wrong about that! There’s nothing more constant than change, and when I had to make a drastic change in how I worked (hello, agile), I realized that I needed to be more flexible and that I would only continue to grow if I was willing to learn and adapt. I gave up my need to know everything and realized that every day is a journey to learn something new.

Fixed Mindset

To succeed, you need to be open-minded and adaptable to our ever-changing world. People with a fixed mindset are resistant to anything that disrupts their world or rocks their boat. I was once this person (so I can relate). However, this is not a mindset that allows you to grow or succeed in life or your career. If you have a fixed mindset, you don’t want things to change; you want everything to stay the same. Unfortunately, this attitude won’t get you anywhere in life, except maybe out of a job.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

The Hierarchy of Needs, as laid out by Abraham Maslow, is a famous theory of human growth and development. He proposes that each layer of his hierarchy must be satisfied before achieving the next level. I think this is a very logical view of how human beings operate. Here are the steps:

Physiological – basic needs such as clothing, nourishment, heat, water, etc., must be met before further development occurs.

Safety – for people to continue to grow, they must feel safe, both physically and psychologically. A sense of safety includes having shelter and the ability to protect oneself, financial security, and emotional stability.

Love and belonging – having friends and family and intimacy with the people one loves are essential. Belonging to social groups with shared values and feelings of kinship are also part of this.

Esteem – being recognized by others for your accomplishments and feeling a sense of worth.

Self-actualization – realizing your ultimate potential, pursuing personal growth, and attaining peak experiences; the desire to become the most you can be.

Some people never get beyond the lower steps in the hierarchy, but the top of the pyramid – self-actualization – is what everyone yearns to become.

Daniel Pink – Drive

There’s a great little video on YouTube that summarizes the premises of Daniel Pink’s book called “Drive.” It’s a study of what motivates people (instead of what people think motivates them).

Autonomy

Autonomy is the ability to direct our work and control our destinies. We want to be self-directed.

Mastery

Mastery is our urge to get better at things, not just work skills, but other pursuits such as music, sports, creative writing, or whatever matters to you. Why? Because getting better at things is fun and rewarding.

young woman playing on steel tongue drum

Purpose

Having a sense of purpose gives people a reason to do great things. We can make our world a little bit better by giving back.

Final Thoughts

Financial rewards are great, but at the end of the day, as long as people make enough money (so they don’t have to worry or think about money), people want to grow, learn, practice, and master skills. They want to achieve all they can and be the best version of themselves. So, allow people the freedom to follow their interests, support them in those pursuits, and you’ll be amazed at what they do.

If you missed the previous blogs in this Employee Life Cycle series, check them out:

Now, it’s your turn – what do you think motivates people? How important is growth and development to your organization’s culture? What tools do you have to enable people to become their best? I’d love to know, so please tell me in the comments below!