On the Job by Anita Bruzzese The Science of Motivation

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese The Science of Motivation Lindsay McGregor says she understands why many companies have turned their corporate backs on the idea of investing in cultural changes touted to drive better employee engagement, productivity, innovation and collaboration. They just didnt have anyone who could prove to them it worked, she says. They couldnt go to the boardroom and say that you get better bottom-line results by changing the culture. That may all change with a new bestseller, Primed to Perform: How to Build the Highest Performing Cultures Through the Science of Total Motivation, by McGregor and Neel Doshi. In the book, the authors use data and science to show how and why employee motivation drives better results. They make motivation measurable, torpedoing any notion that great workplace cultures are anomalies, or based on fuzzy thinking. In other words, you dont have to try to copy Amazon or Apple, but can instead create a culture that fits best with your organization and spurs employees to innovate, experiment and adapt. (Doshi and McGregor have designed aTotal Motivation Surveythat helps determine the motivations behind work, the same survey they have administered to thousands of employees at 50 major companies.) The bottom line:Whypeople work determineshow wellthey work. Specifically, the most important whys are play, purpose and potential. When an employee works for these reasons, then their performance is stronger and they execute better. But, when they work for emotional or economic reasons, then their performance is weakened. We may believe that anyone would do jumping jacks for a long time for $10,000. But in the long term, that doesnt inspire anyone to keep it up, McGregor says. Research by Doshi and McGregor shows the road to what works and what does not when it comes to motivating workers to achieve better results includes: Play.If an employeeenjoys the work,then the work itself is the reward. At the heart of play are curiosity and experimentation, and people intrinsically enjoy learning and adapting. While some companies may think installing a foosball table is a way for employees to play, the key is that themotive must be fueled by the work itself. Its not supposed to be a distraction. Purpose.This is when (read more here) -