Your people may not need more motivation. They may need less interference.
Realizing that what motivates you may not be what motivates the people you lead was a key insight from Daniel Pink in his book Drive. In it, he challenges the assumption that external rewards are the best way to motivate people. He identifies three powerful internal drivers:
- Autonomy – The desire to have ownership over how we work.
- Mastery – The desire to develop our skills and become better at something that matters.
- Purpose – The desire to contribute to something meaningful.
So think about your direct reports. Maybe you want them to take ownership, but you keep making their decisions. You want them to grow, but you're not giving them the opportunities. You want to see more engagement, but they don't see how their work makes a difference.
Your efforts may actually be getting in the way of what motivates them.
And because your intentions are good, you may not even notice it.
3 Quick Questions Worth Asking Your Direct Reports:
- Where would you like more freedom to make decisions?
- What would you like to get better at?
- What part of your work feels most meaningful to you?
If you've tried everything and "they just don't seem motivated", consider whether there's something that you are doing that's getting in their way.
Are you creating the conditions for your people to thrive, or are you unintentionally making it harder?