Intrinsic motivation is the willingness to devote your discretionary effort to a cause. At work, the intersection of purpose, belonging, and agency give you what the ancient Greeks called eudaimonia — the fullest expression of you in your most elevated state.

Why it matters

Intrinsically motivated employees are more likely to have positive attitudes towards their work, higher job satisfaction, and lower turnover. This, in turn, leads to higher levels of productivity (over 20% higher), lower presenteeism, and less drama.

The best leaders focus on purpose, belonging, and agency to foster intrinsic motivation.

Employees are more likely to devote their discretionary effort if they believe in what they are doing — their purpose. Discover what each employee finds compelling and organize their roles around it. Helping people identify their superpowers — their natural traits — enables you to put them into positions they are likely to find joyful.

Purpose does not require transcendence. Some employees love using their natural talents for the joy it provides, others love to create something new or achieve an important goal, and some get inspired by transcendence.

Belonging is the feeling that you fit in. You feel belonging when your colleagues share the same workplace values and expectations. I work with companies to identify the three As: what do acceptable, awesome, and awful look like? This process helps you identify people who are an excellent fit for your organization and those who are not.

Agency is the ability to decide how you will apply your superpowers and effort. The best leaders have a weekly 15-minute one-on-one with each direct employee to ask how they use their superpowers and how they could apply them to even more significant effects.

People need all three to have intrinsic motivation

Without purpose, people will feel that they are drifting (and you can only drift downhill). This feeling is the fast track to disengagement and turnover.

When employees feel like they don’t fit in, the risk of workplace disputes and drama heightens, which increases the emotional tax and erodes trust.

Inadequate agency creates boredom, burnout, and frustration because employees feel like they have no control over the outcome of their work.

Where does your company stand?

According to Gallup, roughly seventy percent of American employees report being unengaged. Imagine the effect if you had seventy percent of your employees willing to give their discretionary effort to your organization’s success.

I can help you improve how your company fosters intrinsic motivation by working with you on purpose, belonging, and agency.

Fostering intrinsic motivation helps you achieve big goals in the simplest way possible.

As a million dollar CEO, attracting and retaining the right-fit talent is crucial for your company’s success. In today’s competitive job market, having a clear employee value proposition gives you a significant advantage even if your competitors offer higher pay.

Why it matters

Employee disengagement and turnover rank among the highest costs you face, and these costs hide in plain sight because few companies measure them. Right-fit employees are more productive, spread joy, and stay longer. Right-fit leaders hire and cultivate them.

George Santos has recently highlighted the importance of having an employee value proposition. Imagine if New York voters had a clear employee value proposition stating that their representatives needed character beyond reproach. Acceptable candidates, they might have said, must have a longstanding reputation for honesty and fair dealing, and a history of learning from past mistakes. With such clarity, candidates like Santos would not have run, and the media would not have been asleep at the switch.

How to create it

This chart shows four value areas for your employees.

Short-term, tangible benefits are essential, but companies too often over-emphasize them. The risk is selecting talented people who do not fit your organization’s values and not selecting right-fit people who aren’t as good on paper. The former will vote with their feet; the latter will thrive in your company and stay there even if they can make a little more elsewhere.

The Short-term, non-tangible value includes a workplace where people share common values and standards, have good leaders, and enjoy camaraderie. This joyful workplace encourages people to contribute their best and support each other.

Long-term, tangible benefits could entail healthcare, paid time off, family leave, and skill development. This quadrant shows that people can earn a good living, care for their families, and have upward mobility.

The long-term, intangible value may include personal and professional growth opportunities, compelling purpose, and a sense of belonging.

Your prospective employees will require specific minimum tangibles. Still, their willingness to bring their best to work daily and stick with your company through thick and thin rely on the intangible value you provide.

Keep away the Santos’s and hire the right-fit people, and you will have a more joyful, productive, and profitable company.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to create a compelling employee value proposition that attracts and retains the right-fit talent. Please use the chart above to create your own employee value proposition.

Have you ever had a team member who underperformed? And in that case, was the cause ever because you failed to set clear expectations?

You’re not alone, this happens all the time, and today I’d like to share a simple formula that I use with my clients to help them change this.

Clear Expectations Lead to Excellent Performance

There’s a casual relationship between expectations and performance. Unclear expectations create confusion and lead to poor performance. Clear expectations boost confidence and leader to excellent performance.

Use the “3 As + So That” to set clear expectations.

Why does this matter?

Clear expectations help you hire better, improve accountability, and reduce distress.

3 A’s + So That = Winning Formula

Last week, I worked with a client who wanted to improve accountability and performance. They had a massive turnover among new hires who weren’t representing the company well. The revolving door was pouring money down the drain, and the leaders were bogged down with corrective action and the associated emotional tax.

Their most crucial expectation was for people to show up on time, in uniform, and ready to work.

Acceptable

The first step is to paint the picture of what acceptable looks like.

Show up on time, in the right uniform, with the right equipment, and ready to work so that you respect your co-workers, get the job done right the first time, and represent the company well to our customers.

Define what is acceptable by using “so that” so that everyone knows what right looks like and why it matters.

Awesome

The second step is to paint what awesome looks like when people go beyond what is expected.

You are 10 minutes early, so no one has to wait or worry; you’ve inspected the vehicle and equipment and know everything’s ready to go; you’ve got a positive attitude that makes working with you a joy.

Awful

The third step is to paint what awful looks like.

You’re late, out of uniform, missing kit, smell bad, or have a lousy attitude.

Put this to work now. Look at where your expectations are not being met, and create your own expectations using the “3As + So What” formula. Involve your employees so that you get buy in right away.

Imagine how much easier life would be if people self-correct and your employees hold each other accountable instead of it all falling on your lap.

Learn more

Would you like to learn more about how to set clear expectations and improve psychological safety?

My next live session is on March 9th at noon U.S. Central time. During this session, I will show you how General Dwight Eisenhower created psychological safety, its impact on winning WWII, and three actions you can apply immediately to improve performance in your organization.

These sessions are only available for people in my Circle community which you are welcome to join. Click here to join our community, go to “Live with Chris,” and accept the invite for this session.