The Way Ahead for Motivation: A Paradigm Shift and its Need

The Times, They Are A-Changing

The workplace today is perhaps the most dynamic it has ever been. With rapid advancements in technology, a pandemic driven global disruption and a complex but hyperconnected globalized world, a hybrid culture is taking shape that will likely dominate the way we work for many years to come. And yet, like the proverbial ostrich, we would rather bury our heads in the sand wishing the whole thing goes away. Whether we like it or not, change is inevitable. And it’s not limited to the workplace either. Seamless connectivity and constant access to information have transformed human behaviour at a fundamental level. The values and wants around which we build our lives have shifted. Naturally, this has meant a re-orientation of our personal as well as our professional lives. These changes can be difficult to grapple with and significantly impact one’s motivation. A paradigm shift in how we perceive motivation has been long overdue and is now one of the most pressing needs of organizations around the world.?

Traversing Unchartered Waters

?Why do people work? What drives them? What do they value most? How can we motivate people to pivot in a fluid environment while preventing burnout? These are important questions to ask when it comes to understanding the human psychology behind motivation— both, for organizations as they think about motivating their workforce, and individuals as they look to thrive in a new environment. Much of the scientific management principles that have influenced our approach to motivation (like the ones propounded by Ford and Taylor) were designed for the 20th century, when work largely consisted of routine, uninteresting tasks and the emphasis was on specialization, i.e. maximizing productivity by repetition. That does not hold true for most workplaces today. The conventional “carrots and sticks'' approach to motivation has become obsolete. Technology has allowed workplaces to innovate and evolve. From where we work, the teams we can reach out to and be a part of, and the many tools we can use to solve crucial hiccups, technology has democratised work to a great extent, empowering workers in the process. The kind of creative work that most people do today involves a great deal of critical thinking and problem-solving. Moreover, old methods like incentives or promotions are no longer a unique differentiator. People are looking for something much more significant. ?

So, what’s next??

Change demands that we change with it. While rethinking our approach to motivation, we must account for the ways our relationship with work has evolved, how priorities, dreams, and expectations have shifted. In his book, “Drive”, Daniel Pink traces these changes and proposes a new approach to motivation. He draws from the Self Determination Theory which ascertains that humans have an innate drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and to connect to one another. Based on these precepts, he formulates “Motivation 3.0” comprising three elements: Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose. ?

Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose?

Closely linked with freedom, autonomy is what allows people more control over their lives and actions. Having control over when they work, who they work with, and how they tackle challenges, allows people to regulate their work lives efficiently. It creates room to make mistakes and learn. Technology today has made this easier than ever by building a hybrid work environment and allowing teams to connect across time zones. The traditional theory of motivation does not incorporate the “third drive” of human nature—the innate happiness one derives from one’s work itself. The urge to learn and grow are among the most exciting parts of one’s life. People want to become better at things that matter to them. Advancing their skills and being on top of their game brings them fulfilment. And lastly, work occupies a significant portion of our lives, and we want it to contribute to a purpose larger than ourselves. How do we do right by our values and the people we love? How do we ensure we find fulfilment and happiness in the work we do every day? Having a purpose—knowing how our work matters in the bigger picture—not only motivates us to do better but also proves to be a catalyst for our inner well being.?

Stasis Is The Drive Killer?

In a profoundly uncertain and absurd universe, we want to be in charge of our own lives, chart our own course, and live by our own rules. Having a rigid work routine with nominal control produces feelings of acute boredom, helplessness and ultimately, indifference. It is similar to the muddled, aimless state of stagnation and ennui that the pandemic has induced in people over the past two years. As the lockdowns have dragged on, anguish gave way to chronic languish. People have trouble focusing, planning, and in general prioritizing anything. Caught in the loop of living the same day over and over again, our brains found it difficult to imagine a better/different tomorrow, severely dampening our motivation.?Blinding optimism or a barrage of positivity is not what gets one out of the rut of languishing. Instead, according to Adam Grant, it is the “flow” of active engagement with one’s environment and life that is able to re-ignite one’s passion. The feeling of being completely emersed in something, and the rush of dopamine one experiences in uninterrupted bursts of productivity.

The Freedom to Fail?

The core idea here is to create an enabling environment, a space where people feel safe to test new ideas, learn from their mistakes, and enable new paths of growth. ?

It is important to inspire trust in your team because it is the key to nurturing stable and enduring relationships. Fear of authority may provide results in the short run but will always hold people back. Over time, we learn to associate failure with so much negativity that we start fearing even the possibility of failure. Though we often learn more from our failures than we do from our successes. Failure is often proof that we tried something new. It opens doors for new ideas and offers lessons in perseverance and resilience. Failure can lead to mastery and it is only when we are given the freedom to fail that we dare to innovate, aspire and enable our growth. As leaders, we must provide a support system that encourages team members to take the leap of faith. Trusting your team’s ability to solve their problems creatively builds morale and provides them autonomy. And anchoring your work to an authentic purpose drives the team to push their limits to achieve the goals. We train meticulously for skill but forget to train for mindset. In a world as competitive as ours, skills are not always enough. You must know how to navigate self-doubt and stressful situations without giving in or resorting to self-sabotage. Failures are the stepping stones that lead one to master this “inner game”. Sharpening your inner game can enable your inner genius. Discovering your inner genius can inspire belief and a realization that it’s okay to make mistakes, sometimes fail and more importantly learn from it. You start again with the same passion, a new plan and a little smarter than you were before. ?

The dance across Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose gives us the opportunity to re-explore motivation in the digital age and how we can help ourselves and our teams thrive in an era of exponential change.