Motivational Junk Food versus Health Food

Culture and optimal motivation will ideally support and reinforce one another. Managers who resist short-term, motivational fixes and focus on more long-term approaches will create an environment, over time, that helps employees manage their own motivation effectively in ways that benefit the individual and the organization. In the Optimal Motivation video, (2017), Susan Fowler identified several short-term “junk food” motivational approaches and several more effective, long-term “health food” approaches. In this Discussion, you will reflect on your own experience with these two types of approaches and use that reflection to define action steps you can take as a manager to use long-term motivational approaches with your employees.