15 Nov What happens when you use the 3 key intrinsic drivers for motivation in your business?
What happens when you use the 3 key intrinsic drivers for motivation in your business?
Motivating your team can seem like an overwhelming task, especially when you are busy running your business with all of its day-to-day tasks and challenges.
But when the current research suggests that only 9% of employees feel actively engaged in the work that they do, meaning that 81% are unhappy, it’s time to take steps to ensure that your team are part of the 9% and not, like many others, looking for new places of employment.
Daniel Pink, Professor Frey, Gallup and many other sources of research all show that extrinsic motivators (carrot and stick) do not work in most cases. In fact, they actually de-motivate teams, and yet, surprisingly, they are still used!
When it comes to getting the best out of your team and ensuring they are engaged in the work they do, intrinsic drivers for motivation matter most.
The 3 key intrinsic drivers are Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose.
Autonomy matters more now than perhaps ever before. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, in March 2020 our autonomy was severely curtailed and we had to quickly adapt to a new way of working, a way that now, due to the advantages of flexibility and working from home, many are reluctant to relinquish.
How has the drivers for motivation changed in your business since the pandemic? It is likely that there are members of your team who much prefer and still expect the flexibility afforded to them during this period.
Daniel Pink’s research suggests that human nature is one of autonomy – we want to be self-directed, not controlled by others. This is hard for many leaders and managers, as they see their role as one of controlling and dictating the work to be done. Unfortunately, this way of thinking has contributed to that figure of only 9% of people being actively engaged in their work.
But how do you build the autonomy of your people? Daniel Pink points to the ‘Four T’s’:
Task – WHAT your team do
Some businesses allow their people 20% of their working hours to focus on projects of their own choosing – Google and 3M have done this and the new ideas have been tried, tested and implemented within the business. Could you do this in your business?
Time – WHEN your team do their work
Many people now want to work from home or have flexible working hours, but how do you allow this level of autonomy and ensure that they are achieving their goals, customer expectations and the results needed as drivers for motivation within your business?
Team – How your employees WORK TOGETHER
How do you ensure that your team is connected, working together on the things they enjoy, and that the team itself is comprised of the right group of people?
Technique – HOW your team do their work
Deciding what to do and what not to do and then how to do it builds an ever-deeper level of autonomy in your business.
When you find autonomy in each of the ‘Four T’s’as the one of the drivers for motivation, your team will be more motivated, perform better and be happier, healthier and more committed to your business.