Motivation: Energy for Your Brand

Answering the “Who am I” question about brand purpose can be accomplished by asking more questions, beginning with a broad query “Why am I who I am?” This question is not meant to be deeply philosophical- it addresses motivations for wanting to create the personal brand you aspire to have. Motivation has been studied extensively by psychologists, but its meaning can be put in simple terms: Moved to do something.

If you consider every decision you make in your life, it can be connected to a motive. You might be seeking an outcome that gives you feelings such as pleasure or accomplishment (e.g., a personal best time in a 5K run or getting a job interview with the top company on your target list) or one that avoids guilt or punishment (e.g., prepare for a group presentation to avoid looking incompetent or arrive at work on time so your boss does not fire you).

Sources of Energy

Motivation- positive and negative- spurs action, creates urgency to get things done, and keeps you on track toward reaching a goal. To identify and understand what motivates you to fulfill your purpose in ways that align with personal values, you want to determine sources of energy that move you to get things done. These energy sources are better known as extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation. One source is not necessarily better than the other; they are two different ways that you can be energized to action.

Extrinsic motivation. When actions are guided by the expectation of an outcome separate from the action, extrinsic motivation spurs us to pursue the outcome. Actions are motivated by what is anticipated will occur as a result of the actions. Extrinsic motivation is effective when it is believed we have some control over an outcome. For example, a prime extrinsic motivator in business is that being a productive employee will lead to opportunities for pay raises and promotions. The outcomes (raises and promotions) spur action (greater effort or commitment).

Intrinsic motivation. While extrinsic motivation can move you to reach goals because of a reward linked to action, your personal brand needs to be guided by a stable internal compass that moves you in the direction of what is important to you. This internal compass can be described as intrinsic motivation. In contrast to external motivation, internal motivation occurs when you enjoy rewards from engaging in behavior that you find interesting or enjoyable. Intrinsic rewards do not come from an outside source (e.g., a pay raise at work or a grade on an exam). Instead, you could say that we give intrinsic rewards to ourselves; you decide how actions or outcomes are to be valued.

Understand the Motive behind the Motivation

To better understand how extrinsic and intrinsic motivations shape your purpose, consider how each source of motivation influences decisions and actions. When it comes to extrinsic motivation, you have likely heard the terms “carrot” and “stick” used in reference to providing incentives to get someone to engage in desired behavior. The carrot refers to positive reinforcement or reward if the desired behavior is exhibited. It represents a “goody” that one gets for meeting someone else’s expectations. The stick is negative reinforcement or consequences resulting from failing to meet expected behavior. Use of a stick as a motivator is based on the belief that one will learn from the situation and be motivated to avoid a similar negative result in the future.

Determining sources of intrinsic motivation may seem more challenging. How can you come up with the answer to the question of what you truly find interesting or enjoyable? It must be noted that intrinsic motivation not only resides within an individual, but it exists in the relationship between a person and a task. For example, people are attracted to a hobby more often by intrinsic rewards than external outcomes. An avid fisherman could be drawn to the sport because he enjoys spending time outdoors, connection to memories from childhood, or as a way to “recharge the batteries” after a busy week. These outcomes can be experienced regardless of how many fish are caught… even if that number is zero!

The Bottom Line on Motivation

Extrinsic  motivation = Influences action because of what it does for you 

Intrinsic motivation = Influences action because of what it does to you

Image Credit: Unsplash/Jake Hills

Author: Don Roy

Don Roy is a marketing educator, blogger, and author. His thirty-year career began with roles in retail management, B2B sales, and franchise management. For the past 22 years, Don has shared his passion for marketing as a marketing professor. Don's teaching and research interests include brands, sports marketing, and social media marketing. Don has authored over 20 articles in scholarly journals, co-authored two textbooks, and self-published three books on personal branding. Don is an avid hockey fan and enjoys running. He and his wife, Sara, have three sons. View all posts by Don Roy