How to Create a Motivational Environment

Strategies to Engage and Energise Your Team That Go Beyond Just Kicks & Quids

As a manager of a complex programme, you know how challenging it can be to keep your team happy, engaged, and motivated. You may have tried different strategies to boost their performance, such as offering bonuses, promotions, or financial recognition. But did you know that these extrinsic rewards may not be enough, or even counterproductive, for your team's motivation?

Above is set-up B.F. Skinner used in the earliest experiments on conditioning behaviour.

Extrinsic rewards are those that come from outside the person, such as money, praise, or avoiding punishment, like those used by B.F Skinner in his behaviour experiments. They can be effective for simple or routine tasks, but they can also undermine the intrinsic motivation of your team members. Intrinsic motivation is when a person does something because they find it interesting, enjoyable, or meaningful. It is the key to creativity, innovation, and long-term satisfaction.

Research has shown that intrinsic motivation is influenced by three psychological needs: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Autonomy is the need to feel independent and have choices in one's actions. Competence is the need to feel capable and master one's skills. Relatedness is the need to feel connected and cared for by others. When these needs are met, your team members will be more likely to perform well and stay motivated.

So how can you create an environment that fosters intrinsic motivation for your engineering team? Here are some tips and strategies that you can start employing today:

●     Give your team members some more autonomy and ownership over their projects. How can you allow some more scope on what they work on (even if it is 20% of their time), or more say in how they do it. Avoid micromanaging or imposing strict deadlines or rules without any consultation. Trust them to make their own decisions and learn from their mistakes.

●     Provide your team members with opportunities for learning and mastery. Encourage them to pursue new skills, knowledge, or challenges that interest them, again this may be for 20% of their time. Provide them with feedback that is informative and supportive, not controlling or coercive. Recognise their achievements and contributions, but don't overdo it or make it contingent on performance. Feedback such as “that is great, you should keep doing that” is felt as coercive and although it aids the feeling of competence the “you should keep doing that” part erodes autonomy. Try instead “that work was great, the team really benefitted from it”, this still adds to the feeling of competence, whilst increasing relatedness (see the next bullet point).

●     Build a sense of relatedness and connection among your team members amongst a shared goal. Create a culture of collaboration and communication, where everyone feels valued and respected. Foster a sense of belonging and purpose, where everyone shares a common vision and goal that is humanistic. Introduce them to the end beneficiary as often as possible. Talk about user milestones not financial ones. Show genuine interest and care for your team members as individuals, not just as workers.

But how do you decide what kind of extrinsic rewards to offer your team members, if any? How do you avoid crowding out their intrinsic motivation with external incentives? Here are some factors to consider:

●     How the reward is offered: There are different types of extrinsic rewards based on how they are linked to the task:

○    Task non-contingent rewards are given for showing up, but not engaging or completing the task. They have little effect on motivation.

○    Task contingent rewards are given for engaging or completing the task. They can reduce intrinsic motivation by undermining autonomy, or increase it by enhancing competence.

○    Performance contingent rewards are given for achieving a certain level of performance. They can increase intrinsic motivation by signalling competence and feedback, or decrease it by creating pressure and anxiety.

●     The environment in which the reward is offered: The perception of the reward can vary depending on the context and the culture. A controlling environment can reduce autonomy and intrinsic motivation, while a non-controlling environment can increase them.

○    A controlling environment imposes strict rules, deadlines, or expectations on the employees, limiting their freedom of choice and creativity. It uses extrinsic rewards or punishments to manipulate the behaviour of the employees, undermining their intrinsic motivation and interest. It provides feedback that is coercive, judgmental, or conditional, reducing their sense of competence and self-worth. It creates a culture of fear, pressure, or competition, weakening their sense of connection and trust with others.

○    A non-controlling environment gives the employees autonomy and ownership over their projects, allowing them to choose what they want to work on, how they want to do it, and when they want to do it. It provides opportunities for learning and mastery, encouraging them to pursue new skills, knowledge, or challenges that interest them. It offers feedback that is informative and supportive, recognizing their achievements and contributions, and helping them improve their skills. It builds a sense of relatedness and connection among the employees, creating a culture of collaboration and communication, where everyone feels valued and respected.

●     The size of the reward: Economic theory suggests simply the larger the reward the better the performance, but behavioural science finds that this is not always true. Small financial rewards can have a negative effect on performance and motivation over none, while large rewards can have a positive or negative effect depending on the task and the context.

●     The feedback that accompanies the reward: Verbal feedback can also affect motivation, depending on how it is given. Positive feedback can enhance competence and intrinsic motivation, while negative feedback can reduce them. Feedback should be informational and supportive, not controlling or coercive.

Another way to think about extrinsic rewards is to use Herzberg's two-factor theory, which distinguishes between hygiene factors and motivators. Hygiene factors are those that prevent dissatisfaction, such as salary, working conditions, or security. Motivators are those that increase satisfaction, such as achievement, recognition (not monetary), or advancement. Improving hygiene factors beyond a certain point does not increase motivation, but only prevents demotivation. Improving motivators increases motivation and aligns with intrinsic needs.

Herzberg’s two-factor theory

As a manager of a complex programme, you should aim to provide adequate hygiene factors for your team members so that they do not feel dissatisfied or devalued. However, you should also focus on enhancing motivators that appeal to their intrinsic needs and desires. This will not only improve their performance and productivity but also their wellbeing and happiness.

Remember that your team members are not just rational actors who respond to external incentives. They are also human beings who have intrinsic needs and desires that need to be fulfilled. Create an environment that gives autonomy, allows individuals to master their tasks and create relatedness through shared goals and purpose.

I hope this blog post helps you understand the importance of intrinsic motivation for your team. If you have any questions or feedback, please let me know in the comments section below.