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Using Strengths to Improve Motivation

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Using Strengths To Improve Motivation
Steven Carro
University of Phoenix
Organizational Behavior
MGT/312
Mr. Edward Skornia
November 2, 2015

Using Strengths To Improve Motivation Motivating yourself or someone else can be very tricky. Extrinsic motivators such as money or rewards can help, but intrinsic motivators are more important because they drive you to do things for the fun of it, or because you believe it’s a good or right thing to do. This paper will address key strengths, strategies for advancement, goals setting to increase performance, engagement and performance, and motivational theories to demonstrate how each can improve your motivation and provide opportunities for career advancement.
Key Strengths
As displayed in the table in Appendix 1 of this paper, my top 5 key strengths are: the ability to handle stressful situations, the ability to lead, loyalty, setting goals, and being optimistic in the face of adversity. Understanding and using your personality strengths and weaknesses is important because it helps you understand how your energy is directed, how you gather data, make decisions, and how you feel about the world around you. The ability to handle stressful situations is a strength that I’ve tested time and time again while serving as a leader in the U.S. Army. Because I’m a confident person and have numerous experiences to fall back on, I’m able to remain calm and provide a comforting feeling to those around me. An example of this is when I was a Platoon Sergeant in Germany. We were in the process of being certified by NATO for the employment of a brand new weapon system, Pershing II. While leading a convoy through a very narrow pass in the mountains, one of our missile launchers began to slide off the road. Immediately my Platoon Leader, Lieutenant Davis, began to panic and started blaming the driver for ruining his career. By

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