Motivated

Working in the technology sector, I am familiar with the need to discover and adapt new ideas at a relatively quick pace. I am still in school for my business degree and have learned many things over the last semester. The college of business at my university teaches all of the same basics about business as any other university. What I love is the information that I am discovering on my own as a result of the "normal" teachings.

Looking into motivation from a manager's standpoint, there is a literary ocean of information on the subject. Everybody from Abraham Maslow to Frederick Taylor to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has had an evolving theory on what best motivates people. Food, sex, shelter, rewards, and punishment - all motivators and all outdated.

I recently read Drive by Daniel Pink and have been inspired to learn more about motivation theory. It is interesting to see the way that the industrial workplace has evolved into service and knowledge work. I spent time in manufacturing when I worked in a steel mill after leaving the military. The methods that are used to motivate people in that environment are strictly carrot and stick. Work harder, make more money. Slack off, you get yelled at, written up, and eventually fired.

Modern motivation needs three basic pieces to be successful; autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Autonomy is the ability to work on a project that interests you. But it's more than that. It's the ability to build your own team to work on that project. It's the ability to work the hours that you need to work without someone checking your time. Not that you shouldn't be held responsible for something. You should be held responsible for the thing that you are expected to deliver: results.

Mastery is the ability to perfect your art. Working for a company that encourages professional improvement is a huge help in this area. If your company allows you to go to trade conferences to learn about the latest new technology then you have a great advantage over many other people. When a company is fearful of sending developers to conferences because they are afraid that the developer will take his new skills and move on then the company has a lot to learn about motivation.

Finally purpose. This is the ability to align with the mission of the place where you work. This is the very reason that non-profits are at an all time high. People like to do work that has purpose. We all like to make money, sure, but making a living while simultaneously making the world a better place? I'll take that job over building corporate profits every time.

Combining these three basic ideas into the right balance with the right people is what will breed the next Google or Facebook. People that are motivated with these ideas love what they do and that is always a recipe for success.  

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ciao