On Motivation, Meaning, and Burnout

What my Organizational Psychology class taught me about feeling ‘meh.’

An AI generated image I used during an AI training I had conducted to tell the story from when I fell asleep when trying to take a call in the middle of my child’s martial arts lesson. Sometimes balance is an illusion?

Have you ever had a book or class you were entirely infatuated with to the point you want to memorize everything you’ve learned because the concepts resonated so much? That’s how I’m feeling this week in my Organizational Psychology class as we dove into workplace motivation.

Every workplace motivation theory I read about was like a lightbulb moment giving me new language and frameworks to reflect on my past experiences with ambition, performance, and burnout. And also what I’m hearing now as a career coach.

One of the theories that resonated with me was Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory which breaks down elements of work into 2 categories:

- Hygiene factors: which is the bare minimum work should provide. It’s things like equitable salary, job security, and decent working conditions. These prevent dissatisfaction BUT they don’t create motivation. If they’re met, you just feel ‘neutral’ (or as my kids would say ‘meh’).

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- Motivation factors: which are the things that drive satisfaction. It’s things like growth, recognition, achievement and purpose.

That’s why it’s normal to be grateful for what you have while simultaneously feeling unfulfilled. It may be an indicator that your motivators aren’t being met.

That’s also why some folks may be spiraling into dissatisfaction with their jobs even if there are ample learning opportunities and promotions. It may be an indicator that while the organization provides motivators, some hygiene factors like job security and psychological safety have been eroded.

They’re nuanced differences which require very different solutions.

This framework has not only helped me understand my own career journey, but it’s also reshaping how I help others connect with their “why.”

What has been your go-to strategy to tackle burnout or get unstuck?

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Note, I originally shared this post on LinkedIn and now want to capture it here as well.