A motivating work area comes down to having superiors that encourage and enable their employees. The importance of building confidence and reinforcing hard work can not be emphasized enough. Fear is not an effective motivator.
The best thing about a motivating work area is that it makes my work day fun and challenging. Just being in my office makes me want to work harder. I always want to do my best.
This is a topic that is near and dear to the hearts of my readers, researchers, and website visitors. So much so that one of them were kind enough to share their own personal opinions. I don’t claim to be the best interviewer in the world, but I do promise some good, raw, and honest answers from normal people like you and me. I do my best to NOT filter these answers, except for the bad words and hateful speech.
With that little blurb out of the way, let’s dive right into the juicy bits of (potentially) life-changing insights.
Current Topic: Motivating Work Area
‘R’ = Richard N. Stephenson (me!) ‘I’ = Interviewee (anonymous by request unless otherwise noted)
[This interview is inspired and fueled by research done for my book: Staying Motivated at Work.]
R: How would the average person out there benefit from this topic?
I: A motivating work area would make me more productive because it makes me care about the job I have. I would also stay happier because my work is appreciated and it makes me feel like I’ve accomplished something every time I come into work. I would also less likely quit my job for another one.
R: How do you think this could change someone’s life?
I: A motivating work area could help someone by giving them the inspiration to work harder. Working harder could lead to a promotion. Promotions could lead to bigger dreams!
R: Please tell me about your own experience with this topic and how it helped someone be better.
I: I worked at a collection agency and motivation was the name of the game. We were always running contests and handing out awards to keep morale up. They didn’t even have to be much, a 15 minute tardy pass or a parking space, just something to strive for. It helps people remained focus and want to succeed in their job.
R: Describe the perfect person to be the poster-child for this topic.
I: A person i work with named Chris is the first person who comes to mind for this. He is motivating because he keeps his focus on the most important things in our industry and is vocal about it. He always is upbeat and energetic, especially when discussing our business. The entire team looks up to him for his passion.
R: Who’s the flat-out worst at this subject?
I: The person who is the absolute worst at creating a motivating work area is the one who just flat doesn’t want to be there. He/she doesn’t consider their work space as personal space. Instead of trying to be comfortable they put in time until it’s time to leave.
R: Describe the “perfect day” as far as making this subject a part of your life.
I: I would make ‘motivating work area’ apart of my life by finding thing that distract me from getting things done. Once I find those things that distract me, I get rid of them. This will help me to be more efficient in getting my other work done.
R: When is a good time to bring this topic into your life?
I: the best time for me in when everyone else in the house is asleep and I can enjoy complete quiet. If I am trying to motivate myself to do something, that means to me that it is important that I do some high quality, uninterrupted thinking. If I am interrupted, I may forget what i was concentrating on, or even lose interest in what I was doing. Unless I need to look at something, I will most likely do my motivating work in the very early hours of the morning in an isolated room of the house.
R: Are there any times when you think it is a bad idea to bring this topic into our lives?
I: An example of an inappropriate time to bring motivating work area into life would be after the death of a loved one. After a death people need time to heal, not motivation. After the death of a loved one your thoughts are on everything except work.
R: Give us an example of a good place to bring this subject into daily life.
I: A motivating work area should be quiet and clean. On top of that there should be free coffee as well. Also, friendly coworkers and bosses are a must.
R: Tell us about the worst place to make this subject part of our lives.
I: The worst place would be when you are with very close family and friends on a vacation. You do not want to let your work attitudes get in the way of a family get together where you are suppose to spend time and relax with one another. It is important to have that work/life balance and have some quality R&R without the thought of competition or work in your mind.
R: Who do you think could use some help with this subject?
I: Cable companies need help with a motivating work area. Their employees in customer service have no incentive to work harder or make any extra effort to do their jobs better. The customers know how the business is stacked against them, and they also know that it is customer service’s job to get them off the phone as quickly as possible. The organization needs a complete overhaul.
R: Describe at least one thing you would recommend to someone looking into this topic more.
I: Set goals of what you would like to accomplish. Fill out a list of why it is important to do work. Get ideas from others on how to work faster.
R: This topic has many sides; what are some sides folks out there should avoid?
I: When it comes to motivation at work, get rid of your distractions. Turn off the smartphone and focus on work at work. Do not play games, get on other websites, or chat with coworkers. Getting distracted will make you unmotivated and unable to get ahead.
R: If you had to do just one thing right now to get better at this subject, what would it be?
I: If you’re tired of looking at a drab and impersonal work area for 8 hours a day, you can take a few steps to perk up your space. Personalize your cubicle quickly with a couple of family photos. A few “office toys” might give you something to fiddle with while you’re thinking through the day’s problems. Get motivated to do a better job with an office space that makes you feel more comfortable.
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Thank you for reading this personal journey into becoming a better person and having a better future ahead of you. I hope you enjoyed this interview conversation and found golden nuggets you can immediately apply to your daily life.
If you want to get more productivity (and fulfillment!) out of your work, career, and life through being more motivated, then check out Staying Motivated at Work.
Please feel free to share your thoughts, comments, or personal life-changing wisdom below.