Challenge: “A situation in which individuals appraise demands as opportunities for growth, mastery, or gain, and believe they have the resources to cope with them.”
At work (and beyond), people enjoy being challenged. Yet it doesn’t always seem that way: a “stimulating challenge” is presented, but the other person doesn’t react with any enthusiasm at all.
Whether someone truly experiences a situation as an (enjoyable) challenge depends on several factors.
A key factor is the belief that they can actually achieve the goal. If someone thinks it’s impossible from the start, or feels they personally aren’t capable of reaching it (due to a lack of time, energy, or skills), the excitement disappears.
Instead of becoming a source of motivation, the situation turns into a source of stress or resistance.
Thus, not every situation is experienced as a motivating challenge by everyone. But when a situation is seen as a challenge, people love it: it gives a sense of competence, can lead to a state of flow, prevents boredom, and strengthens intrinsic motivation.
Do you want to offer someone more challenges?
Sometimes this means thinking of them more often and entrusting them with more complex tasks, and sometimes it means providing extra support to turn a stressful demand into an achievable challenge.
Challenges are the puzzle pieces that make work fun.
This post has been translated. Do you want to read my posts in Dutch? www.juliaburggraaf.nl/blog