Motivation through self-direction

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc

This youtube clip entitled 'The Surprising truth about what animates us' is by www.RSA.org and adapted from Dan Pink's talk at the RSA. As they say, alongside the clip, "(It) illustrates the hidden truths behind what really motivates us at home and in the workplace."

It is particularly appropriate to teaching and to Higher Education where management (and teaching) styles are too often based on external direction rather than self-direction. This clip supports the new approach to CPD that is being taken through recent TDA, ttrb and TeachNet initiatives.

The well presented clip first reminds us that the usual motivational processes in business is through monetary reward – taking a behavioural 'carrot and stick' approach. However, a study by economists (I am currently attempting to find the actual paper) has shown that, while offering 3 stage monetary rewards for mechanical tasks may have some positive effect, once any small level of cognitive process was involved, a monetary reward led to a fall in performance.

Shocked as the researchers were, they carried out the research in India where, it was felt, lower paid workers would have a greater motivation for monetary reward. However, their results were in fact replicated. Top performers gave the worst performance.

What was discovered was very interesting and relevant to all organisations. Once people were paid sufficient to take the issue of money out of the equation; 3 motivational factors emerged: Autonomy, Mastery & Purpose. They discovered that self – direction was better for engagement, which stimulates motivation.

One Australian software company has perfected its own method according to this management style. The management thinking being that 'you probably want to do something interesting – let me get out of your way'; once a month, on a Thursday afternoon, they do just that. They tell their employees that they can work on anything they like, however they like and with whomsoever they like. The only stipulation being that they must share their results with the rest of the staff at a fun meeting (with coffee, cake and beer) at the end of that 24 hours – on the Friday.

What they discovered was; an increase in software fixes and an increase in new product ideas.

It seems that Autonomy engages and motivates people. This leads to Mastery of their skills, which in turn gives them Purpose.

It is borne out in the plethora of free, good software available: Linux, Skype, Apache and Wikipedia.

However, watch the clip – it tells it so much better than I do.