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This video this week was pretty interesting in that it really drove home for me the fact that money isn’t everything in this world.  Andy Mulholland shared his 3 things that he thinks is necessary for a motivated workforce.  These 3 things were ensure it is interesting work that expands the skill set of the employee and that you recognize the employee for their contributions (Mulholland, The Three Things We Work For).  The first 2 of these are interesting in that they are not necessarily described in the text and are not always controllable.  For example, making sure the job is interesting.  No matter how hard you try, there will always be someone stuck in some menial job that requires little thinking and is highly repetitious (for example working on an assembly line where all you do is put 2 bolts onto the gear moving past you).  While some might find that job rewarding, I don’t know how you could go about making it interesting. 

With that being said, these 3 factors are exactly why I enjoy being in the Navy as much as I do.  I’m not sure if there is much else that can motivate someone more than knowing that what you are going to do today will be interesting.  As tired as I got underway (or in port), I always knew that the day would bring new challenges and learning opportunities.   This fact was almost the sole motivation for me to get out of the rack at times – I didn’t want to miss out on something interesting happening without me being around to experience it.  The work being interesting also plays into building ones skill set.  From my experience, this was the only motivating factor for the nukes back aft in the engine room.  They knew that no matter how boring their job was underway, the skills that they were developing were going to be infinitely useful in the public sector due to the amount of training and hands on experience they were receiving.  I can also second this – while my job as an officer keeps things more interesting than the average enlisted guy, I can honestly say that the fact that the Navy has given me millions of dollars’ worth of training and experiences that will make me a highly marketable individual is another motivating factor for me.  Also, one of the common processes in the Navy is solely to increase your skill set.  People often complain about the fact that as soon as you get comfortable in your job, you are going to get shifted to a different one where the learning process starts over again.  This specifically happens to increase your overall knowledge of warfare area and to increase your ability to handle multiple different situations, i.e. it increases you skill set.  Finally, recognition is one of the few reward systems the Navy does have in place and clearly fits into the description of the rewards discussion from the text (Whetten & Cameron, 2011).  Whether it is through certificates of appreciation up to medals, receiving them is always motivating to all concerned.  While worth nothing monetarily, it is also as bragging rights for some individuals who get to walk around with a large ribbon rack displaying their accomplishments.  The recognition aspect might help explain the reason why the USS ALASKA has continued to be as successful as she has.  We first started to receive small accolades which increased our desire to earn more.  Next came the Battle “E” which meant that we were the best ship in the squadron and the best strategic asset in the Atlantic.  While happy with this, the crew wasn’t satisfied since there was still another goal to aim at – the Omaha Trophy (best strategic asset in the fleet).  This award was literally talked about quite often – everyone was motivated about trying to receive that award and pushed each other daily in pursuit of it.  Sure enough, the ship has now won the award 2 years in a row and is consistently recognized as the best ship in the fleet of FBMs.  The pride the sailors take with them is clearly evident.

While I agree that these 3 things are highly motivational and are ideas that I do use to get myself motivated, they are not the only things.  First, and as cheesy as it may sound, I am motivated by the fact that I am doing something that is of greater importance to someone other than myself.  I know I could step out into the public and make a decent amount more than what I make now, but for me I like the fact that I am contributing to the greater good of our country where greed isn’t the sole objective.  This drives me so much that I’m not sure how I will handle stepping out back into the public sector where making money is the primary focus of the organization I work for.  Additionally, the heritage of the Navy is another motivating factor.  The Navy isn’t some business that hit it big with some revolutionary technology 5 years ago; it is an organization that has been around for 238 years that is steeped in tradition and history.  Every time I put on the uniform I carry the heritage and tradition of those who have come before me, and ensuring I do my part to not smear that is highly motivating for me.  Finally, working with the people I get to work with motivates me almost daily.  In my job now as a NROTC instructor, I get to interact and train the best our country has to offer and the next generation of the Navy.  I get to see them change from 18 year old kids into naval officers that hopefully will leave the unit with a piece of me to carry into the fleet.  They are great kids that have volunteered to serve their country and are motivated by much of the same things that get me out of bed, and money isn’t one of them.  

Mulholland, A. (Performer). (2011). The Three Things We Work For (Money Isn [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://library.books24x7.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/VideoViewer.aspx?bkid=43753  

Whetten, D., & Cameron, K. (2011). Developing management skills. (Eighth ed.). Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education Inc.