Pink's Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose Framework
Encouraging Self-Motivation
Why
do you work? What's your motivation? Is it the prospect of that
end-of-year bonus? The promotion that you've been promised? Or do you
just, quite simply, love what you do?
Many
people work in environments that are dominated by "stick and carrot"
motivation: do well and you'll get a reward, but do badly and you'll be
punished. However, with this approach, the satisfaction of doing a job
well can often get lost in the drive for praise and promotion.
Research
on employee engagement suggests that people perform better when they
are motivated. But there's still widespread debate about whether
traditional motivational strategies, like "stick and carrot," really
work.
So,
in this post, I explore a model that casts away the idea of reward
and punishment as motivational tools and, instead, focuses on what it
takes to make people really care about what they do.
What is Motivation 3.0?
In
his book, "Drive," Daniel Pink sets out a new vision for workplace
motivation, which he labels "Motivation 3.0." So called, he explains,
because it's an upgrade from primitive survival ("Motivation 1.0") and
from the culture of reward and punishment that we find in most
businesses ("Motivation 2.0").
Pink's
theory is drawn from research undertaken by psychologists Harry Harlow
and Edward Deci in 1971. They discovered that rewards can fail to
improve people's engagement with tasks, and may even damage it. Another
study was carried out by professors at MIT in 2017, and recorded similar
findings.
Pink
argues that traditional "carrot and stick" approaches to motivation are
becoming outdated, and do not adequately address the needs of the
creative and innovative workplaces of the 21st century. Despite this,
extrinsic motivation, or "Type X" behavior (motivating people using
rewards external to work), is often deep-rooted, particularly among
older employees who are accustomed to it.
In
contrast, intrinsic motivation, or "Type I" behavior (when people are
self-motivated because they are given the freedom to do the work they
enjoy), is increasingly common in modern workplaces, where routine work
is often outsourced. In these kinds of environments, innovation and
creativity are key. So, it's essential that people are allowed to thrive
by doing work that they are truly passionate about.
The Three Key Components of Intrinsic Motivation
According
to Pink, intrinsic motivation is based on three key factors: Autonomy,
Mastery and Purpose. Let's look at each factor in more detail:
Autonomy
Autonomy
is the need to direct your own life and work. To be fully motivated,
you must be able to control what you do, when you do it, and who you do
it with.
According
to Pink, autonomy motivates us to think creatively without needing to
conform to strict workplace rules. By rethinking traditional ideas of
control – regular office hours, dress codes, numerical targets, and so
on – organizations can increase staff autonomy, build trust, and improve
innovation and creativity.
Motivation
by autonomy is often used by software companies, many of which give
their engineers time to work on their own development projects. This
gives them the freedom to try out and test new ideas, which can deliver
benefits to the organization, such as improved processes or innovative
solutions.
Mastery
Mastery
is the desire to improve. If you are motivated by mastery, you'll
likely see your potential as being unlimited, and you'll constantly seek
to improve your skills through learning and practice. Someone who seeks
mastery needs to attain it for its own sake.
For
example, an athlete who is motivated by mastery might want to run as
fast as she possibly can. Any medals that she receives are less
important than the process of continuous improvement.
Purpose
People may become disengaged and demotivated at work if they don't understand, or can't invest in, the "bigger picture."
But
those who believe that they are working toward something larger and
more important than themselves are often the most hard-working,
productive and engaged. So, encouraging them to find purpose in their
work – for instance, by connecting their personal goals to
organizational targets using OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) or OGSMs
(Objectives, Goals, Strategies and Measures) – can win not only their
minds, but also their hearts.
Offering
staff the chance to use their skills to benefit local non-profits, for
example, can foster a strong sense of purpose. As can developing a
value- or ethics-led company vision that encourages people to "buy in"
to its key organizational goals.
How to Build an Intrinsically Motivated Team
Making
the change to a culture that focuses on intrinsic motivation can be
daunting, particularly for organizations that are built on traditional
reward and punishment models. But, Pink argues that – over time, and
with practice – Type I behavior can be learned.
The following four strategies can help you to encourage your team to become more intrinsically motivated:
1. Try Out "10 Percent Time"
Give team members the chance to spend 10 percent of their working time on a project of their own choice.
These
projects should fall outside of their day-to-day work, but offer
benefits to your business. Fixing a software bug or finding ways to
improve a process, for instance.
Warning!
A
team that's already very busy and overworked, or that is facing a
crisis, may not welcome 10 Percent Time, and may even see it as an
additional burden. This view could be shared by senior management – if
you are currently behind on your core targets, for example. So, think
carefully about whether this strategy is feasible for your team and when
best to introduce it.
2. Take Steps to Give Up Control
Relinquish (some) managerial control in favor of giving your team members more autonomy. You can do this by:
+ Involving
people in setting their own goals – individuals will likely be more
engaged in their work when they pursue goals that they have helped to
create.
+ Reducing
controlling language – instead of saying "you must" or "you should,"
use terms like "consider doing" or "think about doing."
+ Having
open-door hours – set aside time when people can come and talk to you
about business or personal issues, without fear of judgment or censure.
3. Develop "Goldilocks Tasks"
"Goldilocks
tasks" are, as the name suggests, tasks that are neither too hard nor
too easy, but "just right." They are team projects that encourage focus
and flow , and which can aid the development of mastery.
These
types of tasks resemble stretch goals – ambitious targets that
challenge what people deem possible. They should stretch your team
members and enable them to develop their skills.
Goldilocks
tasks often involve collaborative work and have clear end goals. This
helps to promote a sense of purpose. For example, you could ask your
team to resolve bottlenecks in a product distribution system, or to
improve your organization's customer service interface.
4. Promote Collaboration and Cross-Skilling
If
your team has lots of skills to offer, you can put them to good use by
allowing your team members to move between functions. And you can
promote cross-skilling or up-skilling by encouraging them to share their
skills and collaborate with others as part of your wider learning
culture.
"Hot
desking" (where people have no fixed desk and can sit in a different
place each day) is a good way to facilitate this. It enables people to
choose who they work with, and promotes knowledge sharing between
members of different teams.
However,
think carefully before introducing hot desking. There may be
competition for space, and noise levels can sometimes build up and cause
distractions. So, consider setting some ground rules before introducing
hot desking.
For
instance, you could ask people to clear their desks at the end of each
day to avoid a build-up of clutter. And, if a team is working on an
important project where communication is essential, make sure that they
are able to sit together.
Note:
Make
sure that these strategies don't go against your organization's
objectives or policies, and that you get sign-off from senior management
before introducing any of them. Otherwise they could end up being
disruptive rather than helpful.
Avoiding Potential Pitfalls
In
many organizations, developing autonomy, mastery and purpose will
likely involve a cultural shift. So, think carefully about how the
framework fits with your organization's activities and structure before
introducing it.
Organizations
that work to strict deadlines and protocols, and which consequently
have a very strong Type X culture, may find this kind of motivational
framework difficult, or even harmful. These could include, for example,
law firms where professional standards are very important, or large
production or manufacturing plants where process is key. Similarly,
companies or teams that already have bonus schemes in place will likely
find it hard to make the switch.
Even
in the creative industries, which are Pink's primary focus, your people
still need to know that their basic needs, such as security and safety,
will be met. Avoid interpreting Pink's focus on intrinsic motivators as
a green light to forget extrinsic ones.
Bear
in mind that causes of satisfaction and dissatisfaction can be complex,
and that Pink's framework isn't a "fix-all" remedy. Even if your team
members love their jobs, they may still be demotivated by other factors,
such as poor working relationships, for example.
Key Points
In
his book, "Drive," Daniel Pink proposes a new motivational model
that he believes is a better fit for today's creative and innovative
workplaces.
Pink's
model focuses on enabling people to become intrinsically motivated –
that is, using internal drives as a source of motivation. He calls this
behavior "Type I." It contrasts with the traditional model of extrinsic
motivation, or "Type X" behavior, which focuses on motivating people
through reward and punishment.
To build an intrinsically motivated team, you need to focus on three key factors:
1. Autonomy – people are trusted and encouraged to take ownership of their own work and skill development.
2. Mastery – people see no limits to their potential and are given the tools they need to continue to improve their skills.
3.
Purpose – people are encouraged to use their skills to achieve a
"greater" purpose – for instance, getting involved in a "good cause"
that they are passionate about.
To your greater success and fulfillment,
Peter Mclees, Leadership Coach, Trainer and Performance Consultant
SMART DEVELOPMENT
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