Best selling author, business thinker, and former White House speech writer, Daniel Pink, addressed the 2010 Willow Creek Global Leadership Summit about innovative ways to encourage creativity and productivity in the workplace. According to Pink, the mindset of control and micro management is the way of the past, and progressive organizations are embracing a model that focuses more on results. The foundation for this school of thought is rooted in the understanding of human motivation.
There are three basic ways humans are motivated. There are biological drives that motivate us, reward and punishment motivators, and the most dynamic drive is that of interest. Our nature is one of curiosity to learn and do new things. Organizations can capitalize on the drive of interest, by challenging employees to create, and providing an environment of freedom that allows them to produce of their own desire, rather than the traditional, highly structured reward and punishment model.
Traditional business models, he told us, are based on the false assumption that we humans in the work place are like machines, or numbers, and that it is in our nature to be active and engaged upon request. On the other hand, what does work is autonomy, mastery, and a sense of purpose. To explain more fully:
Autonomy – over their time, their task, their team and their technique.
Mastery – making progress is, of itself, motivating. Acknowledging progress to feed the sense of mastery.
Purpose – One of the strongest motivators of all is to have a goal or purpose that is larger than oneself.
What it all boils down to is this. Self direction is what leads to engagement, and a fully engaged individual will produce more both in quantity and quality.
The mindset of us (leadership or management) vs them (employees, team members, ministry workers) does not capitalize on what truly motivates people to perform their work with diligence and excellence. Wise leadership is learning to think outside the box and create work environments that foster self direction and total engagement, based on an understanding of what really motivates the people under their direction.
As a leader, you may find it difficult to give up the control you have exercised and give people the freedom they need to do great work. Here are three suggestions to get you started.
1. Involve your team when setting goals. We will work harder to achieve a goal we set for ourselves, than one forced upon us.
2. Use non controlling language. Suggest and encourage engagement and agreement with words like “think about” or “consider” rather than seeking compliance with words like “must” and “should”.
3. Be available and approachable for those you lead. Set aside time that they know they can come to you to discuss whatever they may need to.
When wise leadership flows in harmony with the nature of humanity, the potential for success and fulfillment will reach new heights. Do you have the courage to embrace a new way?
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