The Power of Empowerment through Ownership in Work

When I first became a supervisor, I was eager to help my team members grow and succeed. One of my team members had prepared a five-page document for a project, and I was asked to review it. After reviewing the first draft, I wasn't entirely satisfied with the content, so I took it upon myself to make some changes using the Word processing editor. Then I asked him to submit it to the bosses. I thought I was doing my team member a favor by significantly improving the document and then allowing him to "take credit" for it.

When the feedback from our bosses came in, it was very positive. I thought my team member would be thrilled, so I smiled and said, "Well done for your good work!" But his sheepish response took me by surprise: "It's not my work, lah. It's yours."

It took me some time to truly understand why he reacted that way. Dan Ariely, in his TED Talk "What makes us feel good about our work?", highlights several experiments that demonstrate the importance of meaning and motivation in work. For example, in a Lego experiment, participants were paid to build Lego robots, and their motivation level was measured by how many they were willing to build. The result was that participants built fewer Legos when their creations were disassembled in front of them, compared to the participants whose Legos were disassembled out of their sight, despite receiving the same financial reward. This was what Ariely termed as negative motivation - people are discouraged when they realised their work was futile.

In a letter-finding experiment, participants were paid to find specific letters on a sheet of paper, and their motivation level was measured. The finding was that people worked longer when their names were written on their papers, compared to those whose names were not (anonymous submission). Just by acknowledging the performance of the participants raised the motivation level, which he termed positive motivation.

Now I understand my colleague's reaction was driven by negative motivation, not a desire for credit or recognition. In hindsight, I should have been more mindful of allowing him to take ownership of the work. This experience illustrates the "Ikea effect" Ariely spoke about, where we derive greater satisfaction from building something ourselves, even if it takes more time and effort. The key lesson I learned is to resist the urge to make quick edits in similar situations (unless time-sensitive) and instead, coach the team member to take ownership of their work, fostering pride and accomplishment.

As leaders, it's essential to understand what truly motivates our team members. While extrinsic rewards like bonuses and good performance grades might seem appealing, they often pale in comparison to the power of intrinsic motivators like meaning, creation, challenges, ownership, identity, pride, and recognition. Let's take a step back and reflect: is our leadership style inadvertently perpetuating negative motivation habits? Can we intentionally cultivate positive motivation strategies? Just as a compass redirects its course to point towards true north, we must redirect our team culture to align with the magnetic force of intrinsic motivation. By acknowledging and valuing our team members' efforts, we can foster a work environment that breeds happiness, productivity, and fulfillment.