There are essentially two forces that motivate people: self-interest and fear.

In the workplace, motivation of employees is undeniably one of the most essential keys to success of the companies. Many people claim that people can be stimulated by myriad factors. From my point of view, however, self-interest and fear are the most effective impetus of all because they are based on human nature.

Firstly and foremost, people conduct their lives fundamentally on the natural instinct of survival. To pass through each day, a person has to focus on individual’s gains, ranging from basic necessity such as food, shelter, clothes and medicine to complicated needs such as comfort, satisfaction and pride. It is not an eccentric case if a salesperson exigently searches for more customers to boost his sales because the total sales are influential to his performance and his salaries. Without the sufficient incentives, people would conduct their lives with difficulties. Since no one wants this to happen to them, they would do their best to avoid such situation.

Secondly, people also have the need for self-development which is truly a part of fear. When people earn higher positions in working lives or in society, they are also afraid that they would lose those positions someday. However, the loss of proud and power is evitable. Therefore, people perform the best attempt to improve themselves, and show that they are beyond others. Apparently, even leaders in any organizations still have to always improve themselves because of fearfulness of plummeting down to the bottom level.

In conclusion, people are best motivated when their personal benefits and fearfulness are affected, no matter the impact is positive or negative. The human instinct of survival and development urges people to take actions. The classic award and punishment system has already proved its efficacy.