Elements of Motivation

Motivation is a complex concept that involves three basic elements: intensity, direction, and persistence. These elements of motivation work together to drive people towards achieving their goals and aspirations.

1. Intensity

Intensity refers to the level of effort someone puts forth towards achieving his goal. It describes how hard an individual tries. It is the primary aspect that people tend to consider while discussing motivation. This is the element we mostly focus on when we talk about motivation. The intensity of someone’s efforts can be affected by many factors, such as personal drive, external pressures, and the perceived values of the outcome. By understanding the role of intensity in motivation people can develop strategies to increase their drive and achieve their desired outcomes.

2. Direction

High intensity is unlikely to lead to favourable job performance outcomes unless the effort is channelled in a direction that benefits the organization. Thus, the quality of effort as well as its intensity matters. Effort directed towards, consistent with, the organization’s goals is the kind of effort one should be seeking. Simply exerting high levels of effort is not enough to achieve or will lead to favourable positive job performance outcomes. The efforts should be channelled in a direction which benefits the organisation. This indicates that the quality of effort, and its intensity, is of great importance. To achieve success, it is important to focus employees’ efforts on the goals of the organization and ensure that they are aligned with the organisation’s actions.

3. Persistence

It measures how long an individual can maintain effort. Motivated individuals stay with a task long enough to achieve their goal. Persistence measures a person’s ability to maintain effort over an extended period. Motivated people have the tenacity to stay focused on a task until and unless they achieve their desired result. This quality is important for both personal and professional environments, as it helps people to overcome obstacles and achieve success in their lives. Without persistence, people may struggle to reach their full potential even the most talented people have to face this problem.

Elements of Motivation