02:23 The role and work of an Organisational Psychologist

It�s applying principles of psychology to the workplace

In Europe it�s referred to as Organisational, in the UK it�s Occupational and the US it�s Industrial

It�s about trying to make the workplace a better place for employees

04:16 Deidre�s focus on the individual level

Deidre still takes into account the wider context that the individual is working in

05:27 The different types of motivation in the workplace

It�s about the direction, intensity and the persistence of behaviour

It is more accurate to focus on the type of motivation that we experience, as opposed to to if someone is motivated or not

Self-determination theory suggests that people are motivated to grow and change by three innate and universal psychological needs: competence, connection and autonomy

08:24 Are some people more intrinsically motivated than others?

It�s about the person interacting with their environment

We can experience different types of motivation when doing the same task, e.g. feeling pressured or enjoying something intrinsicly

10:42 The problems with personality tests

There is no doubt that we all have different personality traits

We tend to overuse our traits in the workplace environment

Personality tests can only predict general behaviour in the workplace

15:15 Identifying motivational triggers

Self-awareness is important to know what you enjoy doing

We can learn different ways to motivate ourselves

It�s important to identify the barrier to our motivation for a task

18:07 Where does the drive for achievement come from?

Goal-setting theory is an employee-engagement tactic that involves setting specific and measurable goals to improve productivity

We have direction if we have a specific goal

20:41 The role of incentives in goal achievement

Incentives aren�t particularly effective for work that demands proactivity

People work for different reasons, and that can be for money, making a difference or having a �calling� for a profession, etc.

24:50 How long can motivation last?

Identify first what the person is striving to achieve

Have a self-regulation strategy that identifies what are you going to do in order to achieve that goal

Set realistic goals so you don�t fall into the trap of doing too much too soon and end up quitting

Have strategies for managing potential obstacles

Once you start to enjoy doing your habitual tasks, you are more likely to sustain it for the long term

29:10 Is the self-determination theory more prevalent in the post-covid workplace?

Covid has lead to an awareness that people can work remotely

Working from home makes it harder for people to separate their work from their home lives

32:36 The relationship between goals and performance

Action Regulation Theory (ART) is a psychological theory that looks at how individuals achieve their goals through processes of action and regulation

From considering your external environment, what are you able to realistically achieve?

Once we make a decision with what we want to achieve, we pass the point of no return

Negative emotions towards feeling like you are not on track with your goals is a powerful signal that can actually help you re-focus or focus on a different goal that you need to achieve instead

37:46 How to ensure that your emotions are not sabotaging your motivation

Within positive and negative emotions, there are both active (e.g. excitement or anger) and passive (e.g. contentment or lethargy)

Active emotions are what drive us to take action

Motivation is, at its core, an individual concept, but leaders can design the right environments for individuals to work in

43:02 Is autonomy at work more important than ever?

The Fordist philosophy of production lines took away the opportunity for autonomy

There has always been a need for humans to be autonomous, but in the 21st century we have been able to see even more the opportunities that come with being more autonomous

People have realised that there are other ways of having autonomy, e.g. people don�t have �job for life� anymore

46:00 The role of positive reinforcement

Reinforcement theory has merit, but it only motivates the behaviour that is being rewarded

47:04 How leaders can improve their transformational leadership skills

It�s very important to build your relationships and trusts individually and collectively

49:29 Hiring for cultural fit

There is a fit for the job (i.e. skills and competence) as well as the overall company culture

In the job interview, ask situational questions to see if the interviewee is aligned with the company�s values

54:17 How our lives outside of work impacts our wellbeing at work

An Organisational Psychologist can help teach someone how to cope with a stressful situation at work

Mindfulness is powerful, but if a job is demanding long hours or extra work, then it�s not sustainable

58:56 What are the common signs of burnout?

It is something that happens over time through chronic stress

The main characteristics are emotional exhaustion, a cynical attitude and not feeling effective with your job

During Covid, a lot of people had to learn new ways of doing things in their home environment

01:02:50 How being in nature helps people on a psychological level

Nature helps us to feel calmer without taking much energy

01:08:00 Being proactive versus reactive

Proactive behaviour is self-directed

If the task at hand brings a lot of pressure and demands proactive behaviour, it causes a lot of strain on the employee

For organizations, it�s important to apply proactive behaviour for more autonomous tasks

01:12:22 Finding purpose in the work that you do

Identify the values that are important to you versus what you spend your time doing

Regardless of what career or job you have, acknowledge that there will always be parts that you enjoy and don�t enjoy