Managers perform a pivotal role in organizational performance. Motivation is a critical element in a successful workplace. It energizes employees and pushes teams to excel. To use motivation in the workplace at its full potential, one must understand the different types of motivation and how they each function in an organizational environment. The topic of employee motivation can be quite daunting. Organizations that provide their members with meaningful, engaging work contribute greatly to the growth of their bottom line. In the context of work, an understanding of motivation can be applied to improve employee productivity and satisfaction, help set individual and organizational goals, and structure jobs so that they offer optimal levels of challenge, control, variety, and collaboration (job design). In this course, you will learn about practices managers can do daily to improve the engagement of their teams and foster positive working environments. Use that knowledge to inform your own leadership development. APA Dictionary of Psychology defines work motivation as the desire or willingness to make an effort in one’s work. Motivation (effort) is but one element defining work performance next to ability and work environment. It is perhaps single most important because it is the only one an employee has full control over. Topics included in the course cover the review of work motivation theories and accompanying leadership approaches, conflict management and performance measurement, all imbedded in the concept of intrinsic motivation. Research has shown that praise increases intrinsic motivation, so does positive employee feedback, but both should be done in moderation. Two categories are commonly used to describe motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic refers to motivation that comes from within yourself rather than from an outside source, whereas extrinsic comes from an external source. Many employees are extrinsically motivated in the workplace by both their paychecks and career advancement but those are not necessarily most engaged.