The better we understand the ‘M’ word, the more chance we have of improving it - in ourselves or in others.

If you consider yourself a motivated person, riddle me this: are you motivated to succeed, or are you motivated to avoid failure?

Now, you might think this is like asking if the cup is half empty or half full, but though motivation might seem a straightforward concept, it can actually manifest itself in different ways.

If we were to follow the work of McClelland (1985) and Murray (1938, 1943), we might, based on their ‘goal theory’, divide motivation into three categories, based on: learning goals, performance goals and social goals.

Motivation that is based on learning goals is a motivation to gain new skills or competencies, or a new set of knowledge. Motivation that is directed towards performance goals can be a competitive drive, a desire to do be better than others. Social goals are those that relate to relationships with others.

One aspect of the McClelland-Murray theory, writes W. Huitt in his essay ‘Motivation to Learn: An Overview’ (2001) “is that individuals are motivated to either avoid failure (more often associated with performance goals) or achieve success (more often associated with mastery goals).”

He continues, “In the former situation, the individual is more likely to select easy or difficult tasks, thereby either achieving success or having a good reason why failure occurred. In the latter situation, the individual is more likely to select moderately difficult tasks which will provide an interesting challenge, but still keep the high expectations for success.”

Huitt discusses motivation in the context of learning and teaching, and sets out pointers for teachers to improve motivation. Given that we do not stop learning or being taught once we leave the classroom and enter the workforce, many of these can be applied universally, be it in a classroom or a factory or an office. Some include explaining or showing why learning a particular content or skill is important; setting goals for learning; relating learning to an individual’s needs; developing plans of action; providing clear expectations and giving corrective feedback.

These are simple techniques that can be applied to great effect. Again, communication is the key: let an individual know what is expected of them and why, and let them know how they can achieve it. When they do, acknowledge and appreciate the fact.

An understanding of which category of motivation applies to an individual can help when attempting to encourage or increase that person’s level of motivation. The same can be said of an individual seeking to increase their own level. The more we understand motivation, the better placed we are to improve it.