I usually post within a day or two of releasing an episode but to be honest, I did not know where to start with discussing this topic. In the episode we discussed what gives people a sense of achievement. As for me, I have always relied on my intrinsic motivation only competing against myself and setting the bar for standards more out of my reach that the last set of standards I put in place.
“I feel like a jack of all trades and a master of none because I want to be a great mom but I still have my aspirations to have a successful podcast and to have a successful clothing line that I’m working on. So, it can be difficult juggling all these hats and working full time”-Deltom
People who have the fortune of holding a career (that they enjoy) experience great rewards. However, I can't help but think, based on the research discussed in this podcast episode, that those people have some sense of power, autonomy, or ownership at their; hence, why they are satisfied with their work or find it meaningful.
“Most people are not satisfied at their jobs because of one particular reason, that can be universal, and that’s because they don’t have a sense of ownership at that job. Maybe there’s a skill or a talent that they have, that they feel has been untapped at their work”-Deltom
Retrospectively, perhaps this explains the other type of motivation that provides people with a sense of achievement at their job. That of which comes from competition or comparing one's successes to others' successes. In knowing that people desire to be acknowledged for their talent or skill and they want to feel free to make decisions at their job, we can now better understand that co-worker that throws their colleagues under the bus. Or perhaps we can gain more empathy for the co-worker that works so diligently at their job that it makes others feel sick to their stomach just looking at them, lol. Even more so, we can better understand that boss that thinks everyone is coming after their position and in return they go out of their way to marginalize their employees at every opportunity.
I laugh because I have never been a co-worker to throw others under the bus or a supervisor that demeans the abilities of subordinates but I am definitely the co-worker that makes people sick with my work ethic. It's a sad world we live in that a job can make us become so resentful toward one another. Especially, once we understand that we are all seeking the same thing which is a meaningful experience at a place where we spend most of our day. We thrive on that sense of achievement. Otherwise, while reflecting on our journey to get that job or career, we may question, "what was it all for?"
This podcast for me is a forum in which I have the autonomy to relate my work (as a mental health professional) in a non-conventional way to a mass of people simultaneously. In working on this podcast I have a sense of ownership and freedom to be creative without limits or criticism. I encourage you all to find your sense of achievement after listening to this episode.
Articles:
Women at Cambridge: The Meaning of Success
Exploring the Effect of Staff Achievement on Job Satisfaction in Hong Kong Residential Clubhouse
As Women’s History Month begins, USC researchers reflect on women’s achievements and challenges
Challenges for men: The expectation to lead and succeed
http://jendevries.com/blog/2014/11/11/challenges-for-men-the-expectation-to-lead-and-succeed-2
Intrinsic Motivation and Sophisticated Epistemic Beliefs Are Promising Pathways to Science Achievement: Evidence From High Achieving Regions in the East and the West