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PMP lesson · People & Team Leadership · Leading the team · lesson 2 of 4 · about 7 minutes

Motivation: what really drives people

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Goal: After this lesson you can explain the main motivation theories and choose a response that addresses the real cause of low motivation.

1The situation

“Any trainee could do this”

Your most experienced commissioning technician has been verifying I/O lists for three months. His pay is good, his supervisor is fair, the working conditions are fine. But he has become quiet and slow, and he told a colleague: “Any trainee could do this job.”

The sponsor suggests a bonus. Would that help?

Motivation theories explain why money alone often doesn't fix this, and what does.

2Herzberg: two kinds of factors

Herzberg's two-factor theory is the most tested on the PMP:

Hygiene
Prevent dissatisfaction
Pay, conditions, security, policies, supervision.
Missing = unhappy; present ≠ motivated
Motivators
Create motivation
Achievement, recognition, responsibility, growth, meaningful work.
These make people want to do more
If hygiene factors are fine but people are demotivated, look at motivators: recognition, challenge, growth.

3Herzberg's two-factor theory

Hygiene factors (prevent dissatisfaction)

Salary · working conditions · job security · company policies · supervision.
If missing → unhappy. If present → not unhappy, but not motivated either.

Motivators (create motivation)

Achievement · recognition · responsibility · meaningful work · growth.
These are what make people want to do more.
Fixing hygiene removes unhappiness; adding motivators creates motivation.

4How it looks on the exam

Exam-style question 1. An engineer recently received a raise, has good working conditions and a fair supervisor, but says she feels 'stuck' because her work never changes and her ideas are never recognised. According to Herzberg, what is missing?
A. Hygiene factors such as pay
B. Motivators such as recognition, responsibility and growth
C. Basic safety needs
D. Better working conditions
Show the answer and the decode
Answer: B.
In simple English
Pay and conditions are good, but she is unmotivated.
What is the question really asking?
What Herzberg says is missing.
Key words / trigger
“raise … good working conditions … never recognised”
PMP logic
Hygiene factors are satisfied; motivators are missing.
Why the wrong answer looks attractive
More money is the obvious idea, but pay is a hygiene factor and is already fine.

5Remember this

Your memory card

  • Herzberg: hygiene (pay, conditions) prevents unhappiness; motivators (recognition, growth) create motivation
  • Maslow (needs in levels) · McGregor X/Y · McClelland · Vroom · Pink (autonomy, mastery, purpose)
  • Low motivation with fair pay → enrich the role, recognise, develop
  • Teams: reward team outcomes; give credit to the team
The full lesson in the PMCLEAR app also has:
  • the rest of the lesson (Other theories in one line each, Rewards that work in teams)
  • a worked example
  • the common traps (wrong vs right)
  • 2 exam-style questions with the decode
  • a 3-question quick check
Open the full lesson → Create a free account
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