Last time we learned to read personality differences in your team. Now let's explore something equally important: what actually motivates people to do their best work.
Understanding motivation is like finding each person's internal engine - the force that drives their effort and enthusiasm.
Engagement Message
What gets your developers most excited about their work?
Scientists have discovered two fundamental types of motivation that drive human behavior: intrinsic and extrinsic.
Think of intrinsic motivation as coming from within - like internal fuel. Extrinsic motivation comes from outside - like external rewards or consequences.
Engagement Message
Can you guess which type is more powerful?
Intrinsic motivation means doing something because it feels inherently satisfying. You enjoy the activity itself, find it meaningful, or love the challenge it presents.
Examples: A developer who stays late optimizing system performance because they love the technical challenge, or someone contributing to open source projects in their spare time, or refactoring legacy code because they want cleaner architecture.
Engagement Message
When have you seen developers naturally driven by the work itself?
Extrinsic motivation means doing something for external rewards or to avoid consequences. Money, praise, promotions, deadlines, or avoiding punishment.
Examples: Writing documentation only because it's required for deployment, attending architecture meetings just to avoid being excluded from technical decisions, or completing code reviews quickly just to clear the queue.
Engagement Message
What external motivators affect your team's daily work?
Here's the surprising research finding: intrinsic motivation is far more powerful and sustainable than extrinsic motivation.
People who are intrinsically motivated work harder, stay longer, innovate more, and report higher job satisfaction. The drive comes from within, so it doesn't run out.
