Science behind motivations

• If-then rewards (e.g., “If you do this, then you get that”) are highly effective for simple tasks with short time horizons.
• These same rewards are less effective for complex tasks with longer time horizons because they narrow focus and limit creativity.
• Organizations should apply if-then rewards for simple tasks but use different motivational strategies for complex, long-term tasks to foster enduring motivation and creativity.
• money matters, so pay fairly

Purpose

• two types of purpose
  • making a significant impact, like solving major global issues
  • making a contribution in everyday tasks, like improving customer experience
• Ask yourself
  • Is my team making a difference or a contribution?
• How to promote purpose?
  • let everyone know whose purpose it is?
    • 15 minutes exercise:
      • distribute a stack of cards to every team members to write down the purpose of the organization anonymously
      • check if
        • the idea is consistent in the card
        • blank card indicates there might be a warning sign in the organization
  • turn any conversation of “how“ to complete a task into “why” we need to complete the task
    • connect to the purpose of organization purpose and personal development
  • building belonging
    • let belonging emerge from the bottom, so just be an observer instead of organizing mandatory happy hour

Mastery

• summon intrinsic motivation with progress ritual
  • give yourself feedback
    • take 60 seconds to type three things you got done today
• Weekly one-on-ones with a twist: frequent and informal
  • week 1-3: Checkin by the following questions
    • How are you doing?
    • What do you need?
  • week 4: Twist
    • have a different, more in-depth customized conversation about topics such as what the employee loves or loathes about their job
• How to give negative feedback?
  • Acknowledge that negative feedback is often uncomfortable for both the giver and receiver, but using the right approach can make it a positive experience.
  • Wise feedback:

    I’m giving you these comments because I have very high expectations, and I know that you can reach them

Autonomy

• Why?
  • Autonomy for All Jobs: Every job, regardless of its nature, deserves a level of autonomy and self-direction.
• How?

  • Job Crafting: Encouraging employees to craft their jobs in ways that are personally meaningful can lead to higher engagement and job satisfaction.

  • Autonomy made up of decision latitude and control. It could lead to the following results:

	High Control	Low Control
High Challenge	Flow(optimal autonomy)	Burnout(they want to quit)
Low Challenge	Drift(need to give them challenges)	Monotony(boring job)

• Manager need to ask themself:
  • Do my teammates have control of what they are doing?
  • Do they doing something challenging?
• Autonomy Audit for all employee on scale 1-10
  • How much do you feel the autonomy over your tasks
  • How much over your time?
  • How much over your team? Who you work?
  • How much over technique to solve the problem on tasks?
• Create small periods of pure autonomy
  • for example, spend one hour a week to go somewhere else and figure out what could be improve in the task.

Bao-Jhih Shao

A software engineer writing something to keep the memory.

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