Why Motivating People Doesn’t Work—And What Does, Second Edition: More Breakthroughs for Leading, Energizing, and Engaging

Fowler (Master Your Motivation), a professor in executive leadership at the University of San Diego, considers ways to motivate others in this informative outing. Countering “carrot-and-stick” incentivizing techniques, Fowler argues that overreliance on external rewards such as bonuses undermines the “energy... [and] sense of positive well-being” that people need to achieve goals. These methods fail, she argues, because they take an oversimplified view of motivation. In her “Spectrum of Motivation” model, Fowler outlines optimal and suboptimal types, from external motivation (for example, an employee who’s driven by a desire to show off status in a meeting—the equivalent of “motivational junk food”) to integrated motivation (an employee who links their performance to an internal value, which is psychologically sustainable). To instill a sense of internal motivation in workers, Fowler suggests business leaders foster environments that encourage autonomy and feelings of professional competence, which can promote sustained effort. While this may prove challenging in hybrid business environments, the author suggests leaders allow work from home flexibility within reasonable limits and make a point of keeping open lines of communication with team members. Fowler bases her advice in thorough research, and her insights into the motivational challenges of 21st-century workplaces are especially salient. Leaders who want to amp up employee morale should take a look. (May)