So, we’ve learned (1,2) that the “carrot and stick” motivation techniques often fall short at producing desired results. Worse yet, deploying such techniques sometimes worsens the status quo to the point where offering no incentives at all produces a better end result.
Of course, this begs the question—if the “carrot and stick” does not work, what does? Daniel Pink, best-selling author of Drive, spends the majority of his book answering this question. As you might imagine, the answer is not very simple and concise, but I’ll try to summarize a few of the high points in the next couple of articles.
Motivation techniques take on new and vibrant life when you can get an individual to switch from being extrinsically motivated to being intrinsically motivated. To address this desired migration, a few prominent researchers are starting to focus on “self-determination theory” (SDT) as the best vehicle to get us there. Pink describes it this way:
“Many theories of behavior pivot around a particular human tendency: We’re keen responders to positive and negative reinforcements, or zippy calculators of our self-interest, or lumpy duffel bags of psychological conflicts. SDT, by contrast, begins with a notion of universal human needs. It argues that we have three innate psychological needs—competence, autonomy, and relatedness. When those needs are satisfied, we’re motivated, productive, and happy. When those needs are thwarted, our motivation, productivity, and happiness plummet.”
This may sound overly simplified, but this motivation theory boils down to engaging what many people are now calling a third drive—the capacity each human has for interest (the first drive is biological--eating, sleeping, sex, etc.; the second drive is responding to rewards and punishments in one's environment).
For many people, this third drive is suppressed—especially when it comes to work and vocation. But for a small minority, this aspect of humanity emerges and blossoms on the job. These are the people you would probably already recognize as intrinsically motivated, and it’s the characteristic we desire to develop in those who are missing it.
While the research on this topic is still somewhat limited, it is starting to gain momentum:
“Over the last thirty years…a network of several dozen SDT scholars has been conducting research in the United States, Canada, Israel, Singapore, and throughout Western Europe. These scientists have explored self-determination and intrinsic motivation in laboratory experiments and field studies that encompass just about every realm—business, education, medicine, sports, exercise, personal productivity, environmentalism, relationships, and physical and mental health. They have produced hundreds of research papers, most of which point to the same conclusion. Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to each other. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve more and live richer lives.”
Take a minute to inventory your work environment. If you’re coaching and managing a team, do the individuals on your team have the opportunity to operate under these important principles? If you’re trying to recruit the best talent, are you able to offer an environment where talented individuals will feel engaged and experience their own intrinsic motivation?
These are important questions to consider if you want to successfully compete in the future. Next week, we’ll cover how to start to integrate these ideas into your team.
Editor's Note: This article was written by Ben Hess. Ben is the Founding Partner and Managing Director of Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.
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