In the latest installment of the Harmonious Workplaces podcast, hosts Rich Cruz and Ben Kleinman reached a milestone with their 95th episode. Building on the foundation of the previous week, they dived deep into the symbiotic relationship between Goal Setting and Motivation. If you have ever set a New Year’s resolution only to see it crumble by February, or if your organization’s quarterly objectives feel like a burden rather than a beacon, this episode provides the psychological roadmap you need to turn intentions into results.
The Foundation: Why Goals Fail
To understand motivation, we must first look at the framework it supports. Rich and Ben revisited the Goal-Setting Theory developed by Edwin Locke and Gary Latham, which posits that people are most motivated by goals that are clear, challenging, and involve a high degree of commitment.
However, many organizational goals fail because they are:
- Too abstract: Vague mandates like “be more strategic” provide no direction.
- Disconnected from resources: Asking for results without providing the necessary authority or tools.
- Stacked on broken systems: Trying to achieve high performance on a faulty foundation.
- Assigned, not co-created: When people have no say in their goals, they feel compliance rather than commitment.
As the hosts noted, when people say they “lack motivation,” they often actually mean they don’t see how the goal fits their current reality.
Motivation is Not a Personality Trait
One of the most provocative points discussed in Episode 95 is that motivation is not a personality trait. While individuals have different work style preferences—such as those found in the Holland Code (RIASEC model)—motivation itself is a state shaped by clarity, feedback, psychological safety, and visible progress.
Rich clarified that while personality traits might govern our preferences, motivation is the energy used to overcome our biological preference for the status quo. Humans have evolved to conserve energy, and our amygdala naturally resists change because change requires effort. Motivation is the fuel that allows us to bypass this “energy-saving mode” to do something difficult or different.
The Motivation Menu: Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic
Ben introduced a “whirlwind tour” of the two primary types of motivation:
- Extrinsic Motivation: Driven by external rewards (like a bonus) or the avoidance of punishment. While excellent for short-term gains, it is difficult to sustain and can sometimes “crowd out” a person’s natural drive.
- Intrinsic Motivation: Driven by an internal desire to satisfy core needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. This takes more effort to cultivate upfront but is far superior for sustaining long-term change.
The “secret sauce” for leaders is often a blend of both. Extrinsic motivators can jump-start a project or signal what is important, while intrinsic techniques—like fostering a sense of purpose and mastery—keep the momentum going when the initial excitement fades.
The Role of Gratitude and Coaching
The conversation also bridged the gap between motivation and organizational culture. Drawing from Episode 87, the hosts discussed how gratitude leads to empathy, which builds resilience. This resilience is strongly correlated with improved financial performance and a positive work environment.
A critical component of this is the feedback loop. For a goal to remain viable, consistent coaching and check-ins are non-negotiable. As Rich mentioned, referencing the “Knowledge to Performance” model featured in TD Magazine, feedback serves as a necessary spike in positive hormones, acknowledging a person’s contribution and reinforcing their motivation to continue.
One Thing You Can Do Today
The episode concluded with a practical takeaway: to keep motivation going, you must break things down into smaller chunks. These “quick wins” help bypass the brain’s resistance to change and build the self-efficacy needed to tackle larger challenges.
Take the Next Step Toward a Harmonious Workplace
Understanding the theory is only the beginning. If your organization is struggling with “vague goals” or “broken systems,” we are here to help you bridge the gap between knowledge and performance.
Ready to transform your workplace culture? Book a consultation today for one of our specialized services:
- Harmonious Health Check: A comprehensive diagnostic to identify where your systems are “broken” and how to realign your team’s goals with reality.
- Knowledge Continuity Service: Ensure your organization’s expertise isn’t lost. Based on our featured research in TD Magazine, we help you turn institutional knowledge into sustained performance.
- Visioning Session: Move beyond abstract goals. We will facilitate a co-creation session to build clear, challenging, and committed objectives that your team actually wants to achieve.
Click here to visit our contact page and schedule your session!
Until we meet again, make change your friend.
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