What many people do not realize is that motivation by fear is indeed highly effective – effective at creating the illusion that goals are being achieved. It is not effective in ensuring that people bring the creativity, good process, and passion needed to accomplish challenging goals in knowledge-intensive workplaces.

Most people want to do more than bring home a paycheck. They want work they can believe in and that has meaning. This may not be true of all people, but it’s certainly true of the people most likely to be solid contributors to a great company. Tap into the basic human desire for meaningful work and the traditional management problem of “how to motivate employees” largely evaporates. People will be self-motivated when doing work they believe in.

… of the eight leadership behaviors, empowerment was the most highly correlated with employee engagement, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment, while accountability was the strongest factor impacting job performance.

The deepest principle of human nature is the craving to be appreciated,” wrote William James, the father of American psychology. It is impossible to be motivated and do great work if you don’t feel that somebody cares and appreciates what you do.

Studies have shown that for people to be happy and productive at work, they need to experience positive interactions (appreciation, praise) vs. negative (reprimands, criticism) with their manager/coach in a ratio of at least 3:1. (Watch out: For a marriage to work, you actually need a 5:1 ratio!!) So make it a simple habit to thank people each and every day —

and that includes using the word generously in emails to your team.

3: Economic Motivation

“Employees, of course, go to work expecting a pay cheque that will fund the groceries and the rent. But in a well-functioning organisation they also look forward to the camaraderie of the workplace. They welcome acknowledgement of their skills and contributions from their colleagues and bosses. Employees take satisfaction from being associated with the creation of fine products and satisfied consumers. The bonus is valued as a symbol of affirmation as well as for its cash value. Even in corrupt environments – whether Mafia clans or among the traders who conspired to fix interest rates at the time of the global financial crisis – there is a need for the approbation of co-workers.