Money alone does not make diligent

Researchers realized this a few years ago. For a long time it was asumed that companies just need to wave with bank notes, and the employees motivation would skyrocket. Wrong. At least partly – because according to Dan Pink’s book “Drive. Was Sie wirklich motiviert [what really motivates you]” it’s true only for tasks where mechanical, and physical skills are in demand.

But when it comes to brainteasers, the motivation returns to the contrary. The greater the reward, the worse the performance. Sounds like a conspiracy theory …. But it is not. Rather, this knowledge is based on many studies, including one of MIT.

The question that arises at the beginning is: Why do people things in their spare time voluntarily, they do not like at work? The best examples are Linux or Wikipedia. The developers / authors get no money, but still invest a lot of time and effort. The answer is: Because it is autonomous because they develop there and because it contributes something to the “big picture.” These are precisely the factors that ensure that one is with joy and enthusiasm in the matter.

Employers can be confused, because after a long time it was and is a common practice to pay premiums if predefined goals are achieved, and to offer coupons and travel as rewards.

Much cheaper and also more effective, would it be to praise regularly. This implies valuing the work and to treat people like people. And that also makes you wanting to be diligent and making an effort.

Employees also describe a good relationship with colleagues and fulfilling tasks as important factors that count for their motivation and tie them emotionally to a company. Also relevant is a “good leader“.

This means for managers, that they have to learn to lead differently than they maybe are used to. A change in the culture, which leads us to change, is necessary. For being and remaining attractive to employees and keeping the fluctuation as low as possible, it is not enough to dangle the carrot in form of bonuses or premiums in front of somebody. Employees want to be treated as capable and intelligent individuals: they want to remark the confidence that they make rational decisions, can do their jobs properly and independently, and the certainty to be able to also try out new ideas and, if it goes wrong, nobody will have their guts for garters.