I don’t get excited about rewards or perks (unless it’s money)
Motivated by enjoyment mainly.
I've always been uncomfortable with the traditional ideal of the “professional” employee — collected, methodical, emotionless, a no-fuss kind of employee that is every manager's dream.
I don’t think anyone can motivate creative people.
Like many creative free souls, I am a self-directed person, who works best in my own flow — the deep sense of engagement, which is what intrinsic (from within) motivation calls for.
According to Daniel Pink, the author of the book “Drive” (who is also on Substack), enjoyment-based intrinsic motivation, namely how a creative person feels when working on a project, is the strongest and most pervasive motivator.
He suggests that paying creative people bonuses for good performance not only demotivates them but almost guarantees they will fail.
In the book, Pink shows how the performance of the task is the reward in itself.
We like doing something because we find it gratifying and enjoyable, not because someone will reward us afterward.
The joy of the task is its own reward.
To find your ideal job, then, all you need to ask yourself is: “How do I want to fill your days?”
This speaks so loudly to me
As a creative multipotentialite, I need to enjoy what I do.
This is why it has been difficult for me to grow within organizations. I’m not driven by status but by personal enjoyment.
3 real reasons that motivate us to work hard every day
Pink explains that there are, in fact, just 3 very simple things that drive nearly each and every one of us to work hard:
🦄 Autonomy: Our desire to direct our own lives. In short: "You probably want to do something interesting, let me get out of your way!"
🦄 Mastery: Our urge to get better at things we like to do.
🦄 Purpose: The feeling and intention that we can make a difference in the world.
I would add a 4th one too:
🦄 Fairness: Knowing that you're being paid a reasonable amount for your work, so that money is no longer an issue.
Researchers at Harvard Business School have found that external rewards and punishments can work nicely for algorithmic routine tasks. But they are devastating for heuristic ones (for knowledge workers).
Nobody sits around trying to figure out how to "motivate" Wikipedians
As organisations flatten, companies need people who are self-motivated.
That forces many companies to become like Wikipedia.
Nobody "manages" Wikipedians. Nobody sits around trying to figure out how to "motivate" them. That's why Wikipedia works.
Human beings have an inherent tendency to seek out novelty and challenges, to extend and exercise their capacities, to explore and to learn.
And, for many, participation in these open-source movement projects (like Wikipedia) can burnish their reputation and sharpen their skill, which can enhance their earning power.
When people use rewards to motivate, that's when they are most demotivating
We don’t need better management.
Human motivation is powered by our innate need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world.
I’d love to hear what motivates you. Let me know in the comments.