Tip of the Day - #6

Think Intrinsic Motivation

The Leadership Now blog offers a post about how compensation does not motivate people to do their best.

My regular readers know I agree with this and, in fact, think that a reliance on extrinsic rewards and reinforcements can wreck motivation, satisfaction, performance and success.

So the tip of the day is to think intrinsic motivation. Stay focused on what fuels your inner passions and interests and notice how others respond to various intrinsic and extrinsic motivators in the work environment.

As a reminder, here are the distinctions:

Extrinsic = From the outside ("the carrot")
Intrinsic - From the inside

People who are intrinsically motivated have an interest in the work for it's own sake. Often, people are intrinsically motivated to participate in work that:

Is intellectually stimulating, interesting.
Is challenging.
Is fun.
They feel connected to and find meaningful.
Feels worthy and offers contribution

A work environment that relies on mostly extrinsic motivators is doomed to mediocrity at best. We don't want to work in a place like this as it will suck the life right out of us. As leaders, we should not create a place like this either!

Make today a bit more fun, challenging, interesting, and worthwhile.

Comments

[Johnnie Moore]

Hi Lisa: I've been blogging about how BzzAgent found their agents mostly didn't redeem the incentives they were given for supporting a campaign. They realised folks were doing it for the inherent satisfaction.

Though maybe the offer or rewards was what got folks interested, it wasn't what kept them going.

I think intrinsic motivation is way underestimated!

[Ian McKenzie]

Lisa,

I agree with what you and Don Blohowiak have to say on this subject. My problem comes from the underestimated factor that Johnnie mentions in his comment. Most of our managers/supervisors see the concept as some H.R. plot to add another responsibility line to their already-full position descriptions. "Let's just throw some money at our employees, that'll keep them happy." It's an uphill struggle to convince them of the value of intrinsic motivation.

[Lisa Haneberg]

Johnnie - Yep, that's why companies rely so heavily on extrinsic rewards, because they think it gets people hooked.

Ian, you are absolutely right, it is much easier to fall back on extrinsic practices. I think that managers who know it is an expectation (from senior mgt, not HR) that they will engage employees and tap into their talents will fare the best.

In addition, our management training and selection practices need to be aligned with promoting managers who create environments where people can and want to do their best work. As long as the work environment is drenched with extrinsic rewards, it will be difficult (but not at all impossible, even one enlightened manager can make a big difference). HR and senior leaders need to become much more enlightened on this topic, too, and change their ways.

[Sabina]

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Thanks,
Sabina Puppo