Meaning Over Reward — The Research on Intrinsic Motivation

Does raising pay make people motivated? Every manager asks it once. My answer: raise it, yes — but pay alone is not enough.

Psychology has reported that adding external rewards to behavior people already enjoy can reduce the motivation welling up from within, and a widely known framework holds that sustained effort requires a sense of deciding for oneself (autonomy), of getting better (mastery), and of doing something that matters (purpose).

I have watched this on the floor for decades: at the same salary, the person who is trusted with a decision grows; at the same task, the person who knows whom it is for endures. Relationships driven by money alone always collapsed in front of a larger number.

This series ends every time with "What do you work for?" precisely because it is a question of purpose. Pay supports a life's expenses; meaning supports the life. Perhaps the greatest benefit a company can offer is meaningful work?