September 3, 2025 • 12 mins
Is your team thriving or merely surviving? Discover how intrinsic motivation can transform your workplace engagement and commitment. Join Ed Drozda, The Small Business Doctor, as he explores what truly drives success in business. 🚀 #Motivation #EmployeeEngagement
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Ed Drozda (00:10):
Welcome to the Water Trough where we can't make you
drink, but we will make youthink.
My name is Ed Draws to the SmallBusiness Doctor, and I'm really
excited you chose to join mehere as we discuss topics that
are important for small businessfolks just like you.
If you're looking for ideas,inspiration, and possibility,
you've come to the right place.
Join us as we take steps to helpyou create the healthy business
that you've all.
Always wanted.
(00:44):
Welcome back to the watertrough.
This is Ed Drozda, The SmallBusiness Doctor.
I'm concerned that employeeengagement and commitment, as
well as the related motivationis suffering a considerable blow
these days.
I think that the rise ofself-preservation, survival as
it were, is making it difficultfor people to become fully
(01:08):
engaged with and committed totheir employment.
This is not obviously everyone,but I do think a significant
number of people are fallinginto this space.
Employee engagement andcommitment is vital both for the
individual employee and for thecompany itself.
(01:30):
So I'd like to revisit theseconcepts that I had talked about
in an earlier episode.
As a reminder, employeeengagement pertains to an
employee's enjoyment andenthusiasm about their own job,
the task that they performwithin the organization, whereas
employee commitment is theirenthusiasm, you might say their
(01:52):
loyalty to the company itself.
The idea of an engaged employeeis something that we could find
in any sort of a situation, andit's somewhat unrelated to
commitment.
For example, I could really likewhat I'm doing, that is the job
that I'm doing, but at the sametime, I may not like where I am
(02:13):
doing it.
I'm really not at home, I'm notcomfortable working for this
particular employer or boss orwhatever.
On the flip side, a committedemployee, that is, one who's
enthusiastic about the company,the boss, et cetera likely got
there, because they'reenthusiastic about the job
they're doing as well.
(02:34):
Let's move on to motivation.
There is a strong relationshipbetween motivation, engagement,
and commitment.
Motivation is basically thatwhich moves us to act in the
desire to reach a goal.
It's a driving force behindhuman behavior and it fuels
competition, it sparks socialconnections.
(02:57):
In other words motivation is oneof the things that gets us outta
bed in the morning.
It gets us started in our day.
It's crucial in being able toset and attain our goals, our
objectives.
Without motivation, we'd all berelatively stagnant and not
accomplishing much.
In the studies of motivationwe've identified two distinct
(03:20):
forms.
These are extrinsic andintrinsic motivation.
You might think of extrinsicmotivation as things such as
rates of pay, promotions, timeoff, benefits.
These are things that areexternal to the recipient, and
(03:41):
employees desire, such things,in fact these are the things
that motivate us to take aposition or to stay in one in
the first place.
But extrinsic motivation issomewhat limited in its capacity
to inspire us to act, to try toachieve goals.
(04:02):
Extrinsic motivation isimportant for basic elemental
needs, but it's the intrinsicmotivation that we really need
to focus on as employers.
Intrinsic motivation, as thename implies, is from within.
What inspires us from within?
(04:23):
What kind of drive do wepersonally have?
Intrinsic motivation is notsomething that can be given to
us.
It is something that has toemanate from us, and herein lies
the relationship betweenmotivation, engagement, and
commitment.
One thing we have to consider asemployers is that we cannot
(04:50):
forcibly motivate anyone.
If I were to give someone araise, needless to say in the
instant moment, they're gonna bepleased to have gotten that
raise.
But that raise itself does notmotivate the individual beyond
the expectation or thesatisfaction of having more
money.
(05:11):
An employer's actions, thoseexternal to an employee are
important but ultimately,sustainable motivation is
something that emanates from theindividual, from the employee in
this case.
So then let's look at the ideaof motivation and its
relationship to engagement andcommitment.
(05:35):
I like to look at motivation asthe fire in the belly, the
things that get you going, thethings that inspire you to move
to act.
Each of us has motivation in oneform or another.
I like to think of engagementand commitment as manifestations
of that motivation.
(05:55):
So one who is motivated maydesire first of all, to be
valued, and to be seen assomeone who has a lot to offer.
So the engaged employee, the onewho is excited about their job,
is motivated to do a good job.
(06:16):
They are driven to perform well,typically for reasons that are
personal to them.
They desire to be effective.
They desire to be seen as peopleof value.
They want to meet the goalsthey've set for themselves as
well as those set for them.
And all of these things are fedby their motivation to achieve.
(06:41):
The committed employee is onewho has a loyalty to their
company, and perhaps even moreimportantly to their boss.
They appreciate where they workand for whom they work.
This may have stemmed from thefact that they liked their job
and typically, those who arecommitted do like their jobs.
The committed employee is onewho would go to bat for the
(07:01):
company; they achieve andproduce at a rate that would
ensure to the best of theirability, the success of the
company.
So then we can see thatmotivation precedes employee
engagement and employeecommitment.
The employee must first bemotivated.
They must have that drive, thatfire in their belly, that desire
(07:24):
to achieve, to be a value toserve.
And once this is in place we seethe potential for engagement and
commitment to evolve.
So, what does this mean foremployers?
What can we do to capitalizeupon this motivation?
(07:45):
Well, we can start by seeking tohire people that demonstrate an
inherent motivation, throughtheir previous work efforts, the
way that they present themselvesin the interview process.
We can see the sorts ofpotential, the likelihood that a
(08:06):
person is going to be motivated.
As far as developing engagementwe have the ability to bring
people into positions that suitthem well.
As employers we have to be verycareful about who we assign to
what job.
For example, the employee who isaccustomed to having
(08:30):
interaction, frequentinteraction and oversight is not
going to be particularly excitedabout working in a position
where autonomy is the rule.
It is not going to inspire them.
They will not be engaged becausequite frankly, they'll have a
difficult time being able tofind their value in the job that
(08:52):
they're performing.
An employee working for acompany that has little interest
in the employees.
Is not going to be committed.
When we seek a position one ofthe first things we look for is
evidence that there is going tobe support provided by the
company we're working for.
Inherently we want to like ourjob, our boss, and the place in
(09:16):
which we're working.
That is the essence ofengagement and commitment.
The employer is responsible forcreating an environment in which
employees can value theirpresence, the place in which
employees can feel that theyhave value, that the company has
(09:36):
appreciation for theircontributions.
These are the situations wherecommitment will thrive.
As far as engagement isconcerned, again this is the
responsibility of the employerto carefully and thoughtfully
match the employee with the job.
It's not getting warm bodies inthe door to perform for us.
(09:59):
That is not going to lead toengagement.
The lack of engagement and thelack of commitment will in fact
lead to a reduction inproductivity, a reduction in
satisfaction, and ultimately itwill have a deleterious effect
on business growth andsustainability.
(10:20):
So let's recap.
Motivation is something that canbe fed externally, extrinsic
motivation.
But intrinsic motivation is themost critical element for us to
identify in our prospectiveemployees as well as in our
current employees.
(10:40):
We should be seeking people whoare going to have that fire in
their belly.
People who are going to beinspired to work hard, to work
effectively.
Because these are the peoplethat are going to bring us the
greatest amount of success inour business efforts.
The second thing is in order tohave engaged employees we have
(11:04):
to be able to provide jobs thatare a good fit for them.
We don't want to waste goodtalent by giving them jobs that
are beneath them, that theysimply don't understand.
Jobs that they are destined tofail at, because they're not
aligned with the employee.
And as far as employeecommitment, we have to create an
(11:27):
environment in which employeeswill feel welcomed, they'll feel
valued.
We have to make it clear to themthat our success as a business
is dependent upon their successas productive and happy
employees.
This is Ed Drozda, The SmallBusiness Doctor.
Until next time, I want to wishyou a healthy business.
Welcome to the Water Trough where we can't make you
drink, but we will make youthink.
My name is Ed Draws to the SmallBusiness Doctor, and I'm really
excited you chose to join mehere as we discuss topics that
are important for small businessfolks just like you.
If you're looking for ideas,inspiration, and possibility,
you've come to the right place.
Join us as we take steps to helpyou create the healthy business
that you've all.
Always wanted.
(00:44):
Welcome back to the watertrough.
This is Ed Drozda, The SmallBusiness Doctor.
I'm concerned that employeeengagement and commitment, as
well as the related motivationis suffering a considerable blow
these days.
I think that the rise ofself-preservation, survival as
it were, is making it difficultfor people to become fully
(01:08):
engaged with and committed totheir employment.
This is not obviously everyone,but I do think a significant
number of people are fallinginto this space.
Employee engagement andcommitment is vital both for the
individual employee and for thecompany itself.
(01:30):
So I'd like to revisit theseconcepts that I had talked about
in an earlier episode.
As a reminder, employeeengagement pertains to an
employee's enjoyment andenthusiasm about their own job,
the task that they performwithin the organization, whereas
employee commitment is theirenthusiasm, you might say their
(01:52):
loyalty to the company itself.
The idea of an engaged employeeis something that we could find
in any sort of a situation, andit's somewhat unrelated to
commitment.
For example, I could really likewhat I'm doing, that is the job
that I'm doing, but at the sametime, I may not like where I am
(02:13):
doing it.
I'm really not at home, I'm notcomfortable working for this
particular employer or boss orwhatever.
On the flip side, a committedemployee, that is, one who's
enthusiastic about the company,the boss, et cetera likely got
there, because they'reenthusiastic about the job
they're doing as well.
(02:34):
Let's move on to motivation.
There is a strong relationshipbetween motivation, engagement,
and commitment.
Motivation is basically thatwhich moves us to act in the
desire to reach a goal.
It's a driving force behindhuman behavior and it fuels
competition, it sparks socialconnections.
(02:57):
In other words motivation is oneof the things that gets us outta
bed in the morning.
It gets us started in our day.
It's crucial in being able toset and attain our goals, our
objectives.
Without motivation, we'd all berelatively stagnant and not
accomplishing much.
In the studies of motivationwe've identified two distinct
(03:20):
forms.
These are extrinsic andintrinsic motivation.
You might think of extrinsicmotivation as things such as
rates of pay, promotions, timeoff, benefits.
These are things that areexternal to the recipient, and
(03:41):
employees desire, such things,in fact these are the things
that motivate us to take aposition or to stay in one in
the first place.
But extrinsic motivation issomewhat limited in its capacity
to inspire us to act, to try toachieve goals.
(04:02):
Extrinsic motivation isimportant for basic elemental
needs, but it's the intrinsicmotivation that we really need
to focus on as employers.
Intrinsic motivation, as thename implies, is from within.
What inspires us from within?
(04:23):
What kind of drive do wepersonally have?
Intrinsic motivation is notsomething that can be given to
us.
It is something that has toemanate from us, and herein lies
the relationship betweenmotivation, engagement, and
commitment.
One thing we have to consider asemployers is that we cannot
(04:50):
forcibly motivate anyone.
If I were to give someone araise, needless to say in the
instant moment, they're gonna bepleased to have gotten that
raise.
But that raise itself does notmotivate the individual beyond
the expectation or thesatisfaction of having more
money.
(05:11):
An employer's actions, thoseexternal to an employee are
important but ultimately,sustainable motivation is
something that emanates from theindividual, from the employee in
this case.
So then let's look at the ideaof motivation and its
relationship to engagement andcommitment.
(05:35):
I like to look at motivation asthe fire in the belly, the
things that get you going, thethings that inspire you to move
to act.
Each of us has motivation in oneform or another.
I like to think of engagementand commitment as manifestations
of that motivation.
(05:55):
So one who is motivated maydesire first of all, to be
valued, and to be seen assomeone who has a lot to offer.
So the engaged employee, the onewho is excited about their job,
is motivated to do a good job.
(06:16):
They are driven to perform well,typically for reasons that are
personal to them.
They desire to be effective.
They desire to be seen as peopleof value.
They want to meet the goalsthey've set for themselves as
well as those set for them.
And all of these things are fedby their motivation to achieve.
(06:41):
The committed employee is onewho has a loyalty to their
company, and perhaps even moreimportantly to their boss.
They appreciate where they workand for whom they work.
This may have stemmed from thefact that they liked their job
and typically, those who arecommitted do like their jobs.
The committed employee is onewho would go to bat for the
(07:01):
company; they achieve andproduce at a rate that would
ensure to the best of theirability, the success of the
company.
So then we can see thatmotivation precedes employee
engagement and employeecommitment.
The employee must first bemotivated.
They must have that drive, thatfire in their belly, that desire
(07:24):
to achieve, to be a value toserve.
And once this is in place we seethe potential for engagement and
commitment to evolve.
So, what does this mean foremployers?
What can we do to capitalizeupon this motivation?
(07:45):
Well, we can start by seeking tohire people that demonstrate an
inherent motivation, throughtheir previous work efforts, the
way that they present themselvesin the interview process.
We can see the sorts ofpotential, the likelihood that a
(08:06):
person is going to be motivated.
As far as developing engagementwe have the ability to bring
people into positions that suitthem well.
As employers we have to be verycareful about who we assign to
what job.
For example, the employee who isaccustomed to having
(08:30):
interaction, frequentinteraction and oversight is not
going to be particularly excitedabout working in a position
where autonomy is the rule.
It is not going to inspire them.
They will not be engaged becausequite frankly, they'll have a
difficult time being able tofind their value in the job that
(08:52):
they're performing.
An employee working for acompany that has little interest
in the employees.
Is not going to be committed.
When we seek a position one ofthe first things we look for is
evidence that there is going tobe support provided by the
company we're working for.
Inherently we want to like ourjob, our boss, and the place in
(09:16):
which we're working.
That is the essence ofengagement and commitment.
The employer is responsible forcreating an environment in which
employees can value theirpresence, the place in which
employees can feel that theyhave value, that the company has
(09:36):
appreciation for theircontributions.
These are the situations wherecommitment will thrive.
As far as engagement isconcerned, again this is the
responsibility of the employerto carefully and thoughtfully
match the employee with the job.
It's not getting warm bodies inthe door to perform for us.
(09:59):
That is not going to lead toengagement.
The lack of engagement and thelack of commitment will in fact
lead to a reduction inproductivity, a reduction in
satisfaction, and ultimately itwill have a deleterious effect
on business growth andsustainability.
(10:20):
So let's recap.
Motivation is something that canbe fed externally, extrinsic
motivation.
But intrinsic motivation is themost critical element for us to
identify in our prospectiveemployees as well as in our
current employees.
(10:40):
We should be seeking people whoare going to have that fire in
their belly.
People who are going to beinspired to work hard, to work
effectively.
Because these are the peoplethat are going to bring us the
greatest amount of success inour business efforts.
The second thing is in order tohave engaged employees we have
(11:04):
to be able to provide jobs thatare a good fit for them.
We don't want to waste goodtalent by giving them jobs that
are beneath them, that theysimply don't understand.
Jobs that they are destined tofail at, because they're not
aligned with the employee.
And as far as employeecommitment, we have to create an
(11:27):
environment in which employeeswill feel welcomed, they'll feel
valued.
We have to make it clear to themthat our success as a business
is dependent upon their successas productive and happy
employees.
This is Ed Drozda, The SmallBusiness Doctor.
Until next time, I want to wishyou a healthy business.
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