Three Key Principles That Ignite Intrinsic Motivation
I have always had a fascination with human motivation and how to bring out the best in people.
Needless to say, I thus greatly enjoyed reading Daniel Pink’s book “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us”.
One of my biggest take-aways was the gap between what the evidence shows and how businesses continue to operate, particularly with regard to external “carrot and stick” motivators such as performance incentives. Unfortunately, these types of rewards don’t work in complex work environments and can often do more harm than good, because they extinguish intrinsic motivation, diminish performance, crush creativity, and encourage short-cuts and unethical behavior.
The book is not new, but it is interesting to observe that many organizations continue to default to these antiquated methods of motivation, especially during difficult times.
Pink outlines 3 key principles that ignite intrinsic motivation:
Autonomy: Individuals desire a sense of control and freedom to make decisions – over what they do, when they do it, how they do it, and who they do it with.
Mastery: Humans have an innate desire to improve and grow; opportunities for skill development and personal growth are critical.
Purpose: By their nature, humans seek purpose – to do something meaningful and important.
As Pink says, “We know that human beings are not merely smaller, slower, better-smelling donkeys trudging after that day’s carrot." Forward-thinking leaders and organizations should take heed, as honoring the humanity of your workforce and applying these principles can not only increase intrinsic motivation but can also significantly increase employee engagement, satisfaction, productivity, innovation, and retention.
