What's your motivation at work?

[SupaSonic]

What motivates you to do your job the best way? Concentrate a 100% on a task? Is it the approaching deadline, or are you at your best when you're relaxed?

In general, what makes you work better/faster/harder?

[billgoldberg]

What motivates you to do your job the best way? Concentrate a 100% on a task? Is it the approaching deadline, or are you at your best when you're relaxed?

In general, what makes you work better/faster/harder?

My old job it was just money.

That's why I quit and starting a "pc and network admin" course in three weeks

I want to do something I like.

[SupaSonic]

I'm a software developer and I enjoy programming. But my current project is driving me nuts. The client is stupid, the platform is ridiculously slow and inefficient, and the deadlines are very close. It's just not an environment I'm used to, and even the good money can't make up for it.

So I'm really stressed right now. I hate this project so much.

[Calmatory]

I'm a software developer and I enjoy programming. But my current project is driving me nuts. The client is stupid, the platform is ridiculously slow and inefficient, and the deadlines are very close. It's just not an environment I'm used to, and even the good money can't make up for it.

So I'm really stressed right now. I hate this project so much.
Well, then you are on your 70's you will have a good laugh. ;)

I don't consider my studying working, even though the things I do in school are considered work. However, I enjoy programming for the results. For the freedom, I can have whatever I want as long as I can implement it via code. If I can't, then I have to learn how to do it. I find it interesting, fun and satisfying. Though, I have written code for over 7 years now and am still considered a total newbie in about everything. Guess I didn't concentrate enough back then(It was still fun though!). :)

[LaRoza]

Reminds me of: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjK7JX0YCD8&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MU15uvxuJqM&feature=related

[SupaSonic]

It's incredibly frustrating when you have to use the tools specified by the client. I mean this is like cutting fingernails with a chainsaw. It's gonna be over in a week hopefully, so I take comfort in that.

[Stu09]

$$ and I don't even get much of that :-\

[Tomosaur]

I try to make everything I do the best it can be. I don't like things being just 'acceptable'.

[lisati]

When I was working as a programmer, and had a functioning program ready to use, there was always the temptation to go back and try to make it better in some way, even if it was tweaking the bits to make it produce a sensible error message that told the user what had gone wrong in plain English. The particular OS I was using at the time was liable to have a hissy fit, spewing pages of hexdecimal dumps that meant little to the average user, if you forget to tell it where to find the files a program needed, and the error handling of some of the high-level languages left something to be desired.

[beercz]

I could well be wrong, but I think it was Hertsberg (spelling?) who said that there are a minimum of two out of three conditions why people stay at their jobs:

a: The remuneration package (money, pensions, healthcare, other benefits etc...);
b: Lots of time off;
c: Environmental factors, working conditions, getting on with friendly colleagues, caring for others etc ...

As examples, oil rig workers generally have a and b, nurses tend to have a and c, teachers b and c.

My job is a and c (IT Director)

Some are very lucky, and have all three (my boss for example).

If a worker does not have at least two out of the three conditions satisfied then sooner or later he/she will leave.

Although there are probably numerous exceptions to this, I think the theory generally holds - certainly does in my experience.

[Solicitous]

What motivated me when I was working (now a Uni student and stay at home Dad) my motivation to do well was....well I had no motivation to do well, I had motivation to work hard as the harder I worked the quicker the day went by and I got to go home.
I've only ever had one job that motivated me to do well, and that was when I was a Linux Sys Admin. I was motivated to do well as alot of the tasks I was doing was challenging and required thought and problem solving. However for me working as tech support in a MS shop I've found to be very repetitive requiring little or no thought...thus no motivation to do well.

[Sealbhach]

I work for a charity that helps people who have been homeless.

I get paid for it, but it's still nice to know you're working for an organisation that does good for people.


.

[ELD]

Money simple as, i need it, lots of it heh.

[Dragonbite]

What motivates you to do your job the best way? Concentrate a 100% on a task? Is it the approaching deadline, or are you at your best when you're relaxed?

In general, what makes you work better/faster/harder?

I do best when I can concentrate, have an idea of what I'm doing or where to get the information, and have a deadline (near or not-so-near.. but not far).

The farther the ultimate deadline, the more important milestones with something to show become (as they become the new deadline).

Oh, and of course it helps if I get plenty of sleep! If I don't get plenty of sleep then my mind wanders like a nomad in the desert looking for water!

As for "why" I work where I work, the money is a necessary feature but also

I get to learn and improve my programming by using it and building my experience
I am learning about managing the project watching what my co-worker does (and doesn't do ;) ) and realizing that some of his missteps or issues I would have probably avoided just due to our different approaches
The opportunity to learn; they'll send me to classes for just about anything work related (and Education is strongly emphasized). This proves extremely helpful since I had ASP experience and they need ASP.NET development.. so I've been to numerous classes on the subjects
The ability to explore and learn on my own (which works best when I have a project). Give me a project and give me time and space to figure out how to do it and how things work. Give me the challenge.
Free coffee.


It helps, too, that the business is a non-profit that helps other non-profit hospitals, higher education facilities, nursing homes, childcare facilities and universities with financing. Profit isn't so much a focus as helping our customers (esp. considering this "new" economy)!