Generating an Optimal Environment for Motivation Through SDT

Many coaches and employers I have encountered have tried to motivate the teams they lead. Whether it be a loud halftime speech to get everyone going, or throwing out incentives for good performance, leaders have been trying to create motivation amongst their teams for a long time. Though I have often experienced an increase in motivation in these situations, the feeling was short-lived and not authentic.

While working through the vast field of psychology, I have become familiar with self-determination theory (SDT) and its relation to motivation. I implore coaches/employers to educate themselves on SDT; to learn how it can be used to create an environment where their players/employees are motivated on their own. The days of the constant need for external motivation factors would be eliminated.

SDT includes three elements that all play into overall well-being and optimal psychological health. (Amorose & Anderson-Butcher, 2007). The three elements include competence, autonomy, and relatedness and should be considered when generating an environment that brings on motivations naturally.

Competence

Competence refers to the degree to which an individual feels capable and effective in achieving their goals and fulfilling their needs. An individual will self-reflect as competent if they know they can achieve their goals and apply what they know daily.

This should be the easiest element to generate within an SDT-focused environment because the job of a coach already requires a big part of competence support. A coach develops competency by helping players hone their skills through practice. They also help players learn the game they play. On top of this, coaches should prioritize giving a voice to their players. Understand the importance of allowing the players to contribute their knowledge to the sport, and team. This is much easier to do if the player wants to be involved; bringing us to our second element.

Autonomy?

Karamitrou et al (2017) explains that autonomy is met when an individual feels they are making decisions for themselves. They are autonomous when they feel they are in full control; they want to play/work for the team/company they are part of. This decision also comes free of external influence.

In creating an optimal environment, a coach may want to recruit individuals who want to play for the team wholeheartedly. Ensure outside pressures such as social factors, and parents are not included in the decision. If a player is showing signs that he or she lacks commitment or willingness to be a part of the team, invite them to step away. Creating a team of individuals who feel they are where they want to be may aid motivation for everyone involved.

Relatedness?

By far the most important in my opinion, relatedness focuses on the feeling of connectivity to the people around you. This is a fundamental need, and when relatedness is felt, a person will be motivated to take part in the team of which they are part.

Coaches need to consider relatedness within their optimal environment. It is almost guaranteed that relatedness will be present amongst members of a team because of shared interests, but this is not always enough. One might focus on facilitating events to promote socializing and connecting with teammates/coworkers. This is largely important to ensure relatedness is felt by everyone involved.

Wrapping this up

I challenge coaches and employers to educate themselves on self-determination theory and its application in creating an optimal environment for motivation. Spending time and resources working towards this should create genuine motivation within athletes and employees, eliminating the need for external motivation tactics when they need it most.

References?

Amorose, A., & Anderson-Butcher, D. (2007, September).?Autonomy-supportive coaching and self-determined motivation in high school and college athletes: A test of self-determination theory. Science Direct. Retrieved from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/ abs/pii/S146902920600118X?

Karamitrou, A., Comoutos, N., Hatzigeorgiadis, A., & Theodorakis, Y. (2017). A self-determination approach to the understanding of athletes’ automatic self-talk. Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology, 6(4), 340–354. https://06305clf3-mp01-y-https-doi-org.prx-keiser.lirn.net/10.1037/spy0000104?

Productive Cub (2021).?Self determination theory - what motivates us to Act. Productive Club. Retrieved January 22, 2023, from https://productiveclub.com/self-determination-theory/?