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Tracing The Evolution Of Motivation Theories

Trying to motivate others isn’t easy. As a matter of fact, leaders have been trying to find different ways to motivate others since civilization began. When we trace the evolution of motivation theories, we can see that so many different ways have been attempted to motivate others that you would think they’d have it down pat by now.

The fact is, as times change, people change, and thus the evolution of motivation theories has changed drastically over the years. And the evolution of motivation theories will continue to change as time goes on. As long as people require motivation, more ways will be tried. It is an ongoing battle that will never truly be won.

The Dark Ages

The evolution of motivation theories most likely began back when Kings ruled over civilizations. These kings typically used fear to motivate others. Do as I say or you will be flogged or even killed was usually the mantra of the times. These fear based tactics do work, and they still do today as we can see by the war on terror, but there are more, and better, ways to motivate people. Thus, the evolution of motivation theories changed to accommodate for people’s growing and maturing minds.

Rewards

The evolution of motivation theories has also reflected the reward based system. Do as I say and you will be rewarded is usually how this motivation theory works. This is the capitalist system and it’s the system we use today. The evolution of motivation theories will continue to change, and will combine both rewards and fear but will also employ other tactics as people mature and become more educated.

The Future

It will be interesting to see the evolution of motivation theories in the future. Most likely, fear and reward based systems will still be used but hopefully it will remain positive. After all, people work harder when they feel they are appreciated. If they can set personal goals, and meet those goals, they will continue to work hard which will be good for them, the companies they work for and even the society in which they live.

So if you are a leader and you’re looking to motivate others, look to the evolution of motivation theories for ideas. You can employ one or a combination of several to cause others to work harder, better and more efficiently. It’s not hard to motivate others, you just have to find out what makes them tick and what actually gets them going. That’s the true basis of motivation.