Motivation can be seen as:

• Behavioural – to obtain desired consequences/avoid undesired ones.
• Social – to be part of a group.
• Biological – to increase/decrease stimulation or to activate the senses.
• Cognitive – to develop meaning or understanding, to gain a sense of self-efficacy and self-regulation.
• Affective – to increase feeling good/decrease feeling bad.
• Conative – to obtain a personal dream.
• Spiritual – to understand the purpose of one's life.

In the workplace, motivation might be fuelled by the desire to:

• Earn an income.
• Feel satisfaction and fulfilment.
• Feel needed; people who know that their job is integral to the functioning of their workplace and that it makes if a difference if they show up or not, are more inclined to be motivated at work.
• Feel wanted at the workplace; different to feeling needed, feeling that you are also liked and that your presence is not begrudged by colleagues or management. Linked to the desire to feel part of community.
• Feel challenged.
• Contribute.
• Use skills

Motivation isn’t simple:

• It’s too simplistic to say, some people are motivated and others are not. Rather, people are motivated by and to different things.
• A patient needs to know their rehabilitation will lead them to their desired outcome for them to be motivated in rehabilitation, so RTW coordinators/rehab counsellors and patients need to discover together the patient's desired outcomes.
• Self-confidence and motivation are linked.
• Motivation must be understood in a social context.

Actions that lead to better rehabilitation through more motivated employees:

• Personal contact between employers and employees; actions like meeting up and talking.
• Starting the rehab process as early as possible, and the employer to be active and involved in the process.
• Helping employees to formulate rehab goals – a highly motivating factor in rehabilitation – combined with flexibility with these goals, allowing them to change to suit the employee's rate of recovery.
• Empowering employees to be responsible and participate in decision-making in their own professional development.
• Establishing and fostering trust between employer and employee. (Communication is a crucial factor in the creation of trust.)

Honing in on self-efficacy and motivation:

• Role modelling – patients can feel inspired by seeing others in similar positions who have successfully undertaken their rehabilitation.
• Emotional arousal – one example of this is engaging with a patient's sense of humour, which can relieve stress associated with the rehab process.
• Realistic goal setting.
• Reduction of negative feedback – positive reinforcement likely to achieve positive results.
• Encouragement – this shouldn’t be underestimated.
• Social supports – this could be friends and family, who can provide care and recognition of goals achieved, which helps patients achieve a sense of competence.

In summary:

• A better attitude gets better results. Encouraging that attitude is worth it.
• High motivation is linked to a belief in rehabilitation's importance in recovery.
• Overprotection, lack of information and "mixed messages" have negative effects.
• Highly motivated patients believe they have an active role to play in rehabilitation.
• Those with low motivation feel passive and that recovery will “happen to them”.
• There is a great need for information and support for injured workers in rehabilitation. Knowledge the right attitude plays a vital role is key to shaping it.