The Activist for Activists. Author of Make a Difference with Mental Health Activism and The Happy Activist: Journey the 5-Step Activism Path to Focus Your Passion and Change the World. Teacher, Psychologist, Environmental Activist, Animal Lover.
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Last Updated on October 23, 2024
Like rats in a maze, rewards motivate us. Likewise, we tend to stay away from things that punish us. For example, getting food poisoning at a restaurant means you won’t go back again.
Rewards and punishments and their impact on behavior seem straightforward. But have any of these things happened to you?
- You nail a project at work, and now you’ve got three new projects on your desk. That makes you feel overwhelmed.
- You do a terrible job of making coffee, and now, no one wants you to make it anymore. That makes you happy.
These are examples of mixed-up motivation. Mixed-up motivation means doing the job right punishes you and doing the job wrong rewards you.
- You nail a project at work (excellent performance), and now you’ve got three new projects on your desk (punishment).
- You do a terrible job of making coffee (poor performance), and now, no one wants you to make it anymore (reward).
Maximize Your Performance
You want to make a difference in your activism work, so consider all aspects of performance. Set yourself up for success. Read more about how to do this at How to Make Powerful Change in Your Activism.
Instructional design expert Robert Mager encourages us to take a broad view of performance and how it can be improved. His guide to effective performance is asking these questions:
- Skill and Knowledge Test. Can you do the task if your life depends on it?
- Motivation Test. Is the task rewarding when you do it right? Is the task punishing when you do it wrong?
- Obstacle Test. If skill, knowledge, and motivation are not issues but performance is still a problem, can you get tools or remove obstacles?
In this post, you examine the second question – is the work motivating or punishing?
Mixed-Up Motivation
Performance is complicated. Even with the right skills and knowledge, you won’t be successful if your motivation is mixed-up.
The way rewards and punishments are set up in work can affect your motivation. If you get rewarded for doing it right and punished for doing it wrong, you are strongly motivated. But what if you are penalized for doing it right and rewarded for doing it wrong? Change the rewards or punishments that affect your work.
If the answer to the question, “Is the task rewarding when you do it right?” is “No,” then you must change the reward structure. If the answer to the question, “Is the task punishing when you do it wrong?” is “No,” then you must change the punishment structure.
Mixed-Up Motivation in Activism
In an activism setting, mixed-up motivation might look like this:
- You go to a nonviolent protest and someone hits you with a rock. That makes you want to avoid rallies.
- You don’t gather all the petition signatures assigned to you, and others must gather them for you. Others doing the work means you are rewarded for not doing your job. If that is a task you don’t enjoy you may slack off in the future.
As you look for the right activism opportunities, make your experience as reinforcing to you as possible, so you continue to want to do it.
For example, as you talk with the people in an activism organization about the work, make sure the things that motivate you are a part of the job. Also, be clear about the things you want to avoid in your work, such as you are willing to canvass door-to-door when an emergency need arises, but you do not wish to do it as your primary job.
When you start your work, be aware of times when you experience mixed-up motivation. For example, if your activism conflicts with significant life events, that is punishing. Don’t miss your kid’s games because you signed up as a trainer every Saturday.
Rewards are Important
Does it sound selfish to say you should have rewards for your activism work? It is not selfish. Effective, long-term activists know what motivates them and make sure it is part of their work.
And if you secure 500 signatures on your petition, reward yourself with a lovely dessert at a café.
Learn More about Maximizing Your Performance
- How to Make Powerful Change in Your Activism
- What You Can Do and What You Know Can Change The World
- Don’t Let Obstacles Get In The Way Of Your Activism
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The terminology, “Mixed-up Motivation,” is not one I was familiar with but I certainly know the feeling of being punished with more work for doing a good job. Harkens back to the old saying, “No good deed goes unpunished.”
Me, too. And the example of making bad coffee and being banned from refreshment duty happened to me. I was so happy.
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WOW – this is a great read and a refreshing take on productivity. It’s absolutely true that people must monitor how much they are extending themselves.
Hi Britt,
Thanks for your comment on my post. Sometimes people who want to do a good job can’t. for a variety of reasons.
Thanks for stopping by.
Terri Lyon
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