Question

write a brief paragraph (400 words) about the following question:

What motivates you? What would make you motivated/demotivated at work?

Answer 1

I am motivated by deadlines and work well with a clear timeline in place. Meeting a deadline helps me feel like I have accomplished a goal and keeps me more motivated to continue to exceed expectations. At a previous job, I was planning an event and made myself a schedule for each task to make sure we had plenty of time to check all details.

These demotivate me at work:

1. Micromanagement

Micromanagers may have good intentions – trying to get work done well – but they drive us crazy. Micromanagement saps the life out of us, causing apathy at work.

2. Lack of progress

As it turns out, money for nothing doesn’t feel so great. While it might seem that we work for our salary, studies like this oneshow we want to feel that our work matters.

3. Job insecurity

When we’re on a sinking ship, we start preparing for the jump. Employees who work for unstable companies or in jobs deemed expendable will only invest enough to keep getting their paycheck while they look elsewhere. The rest of their energy will be spent sharing rumors with co-workers, updating their resumes and planning their next move.

4. No confidence in company leadership

We don’t have to love our leaders to be happy, but we can’t believe they’re incompetent. Once we lose faith in where our company is heading, then our loyalties fray and we cease to wholeheartedly follow. We can even get subversive.

5. Lack of recourse for poor performance

When we go to work, we like to be rewarded and recognized for our contributions. If this isn’t happening, or worse, people doing mediocre work are getting the same treatment as strong performers, it’s natural to just turn off and do your job on autopilot. Companies that don’t deal with performance issues bring down the average for everyone.

6. Poor communication

A seasoned journalist I worked with years ago said this about workplace dynamics: “Never attribute to conspiracy what incompetence can explain.” In the absence of information, rumors thrive. Employees end up guessing, confused, and frustrated. If there’s not an avenue to communicate back to leadership for clarification, it gets even worse. Having to spend large amounts of time getting the information we need to do our jobs is exhausting.

7. Unpleasant coworkers

In my 20s, I had a job that didn’t pay much nor provide exciting work, but I loved going to work every day because of my co-workers. We were a tight-knit team that worked together all day then went to happy hour after work. The importance of working with people we like can’t be overstated. Friendships make up for a lot of ills, and the reverse is also true. A well-paying, career-enhancing job with a group of back-stabbers is a recipe for stress and misery.

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