Autonomy: workers need to be autonomous in order to be more motivated, which means that businesses need to provide an environment that permits employees to shape their own professional lives. This is done through flexibility of businesses; flexibility on when, how, who and what their employees do.
Mastery: businesses need to provide learning opportunities for their employees, where they will be able to be innovative. Employees will gain mastery when they are given tasks that matter to them and are neither too easy nor too difficult.
Purpose: people are motivated when they are able to see benefits of their work. In order to achieve this, businesses need to emphasise their purpose, and show the workers that they contribute to this purpose, which will in turn increase their motivation.
Frequently Asked Questions: Daniel Pink's Motivation Theory
- Autonomy: The desire to direct our own lives. This means having control over what we do, when we do it, how we do it, and who we do it with (Task, Time, Technique, Team).
- Mastery: The urge to get better and better at something that matters. This involves continuous learning, practice, and striving for improvement.
- Purpose: The yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves. People want their work to have meaning and contribute to a cause beyond just making money.