Case Study #12: Motivation and Recognition

Money matters but it cannot guarantee everlasting motivation.

You work for money. They pay your time with money. Money gives you access to your lifestyle.

Money matters.

Yet, does better money keep you in the same job? Tom wasn't sure about it. He felt puzzled after getting a minor pay raise. Is money good enough for appreciation?

Tom worked for the same corporation for six years. He enjoyed working on projects. But he hated how badly capacity was managed. He was either busy or free.

Yet, he realized that although he was promoted twice, his job did not change past six years. From small projects, he moved to broader projects. He eventually landed as an account project leader for a few clients.

Was that it?

Money is a powerful motivator, but it's not the only one. Appreciation and recognition play a huge role, too.

---

Motivation

Daniel Pink wrote in Drive that Motivation 2.0 was built around external rewards and punishments. The system of carrots and sticks worked well in the 20th century since work was more repetitive.

“If you work, then you get money.”

You work not because it gives you joy but because you get something in return. Extrinsic motivation is primarily driven by:

• Compensation

• Promotions and rewards

• Status etc.

Yet, like Tom, many do not feel another promotion or pay raise is enough to keep them motivated at work.

You need more. We think a lot about what we do, how we do it, and why we do it. Motivation is worth exploring from an intrinsic perspective:

• You do it because it gives you joy.

• You feel fulfilled and satisfied.

• You like a challenge.

If you believe in what you do, you are okay with working overtime. If you don’t, you are likely to be annoyed since overtime is not paid. What do you think about Tom? Perhaps he felt stuck, and money could not motivate him.

Answer: What drives you?

Get to know what people want, not what you think they want

Leaders often paint their perfect picture of how things are. Yet, reality is far from what they thought it was. If you want to understand how to motivate and recognize people for their work, you need to know what they want.

Different people have different goals. Don’t count on you can shut them up by adding a little extra money to their salary. It might not work for everyone.

Pink talks about three more things to consider:

Autonomy

• A need to be self-directed.

• People need autonomy over the tasks they do (what), their time management (when), the team they work with (who), and the technique (how). You would nowadays add where they work to reflect hybrid work.

Mastery