Rather than believing that younger people were similar to themselves, they preferred to view them almost as a separate species who didn t care about security or family, who valued prospects above all and who wanted status much more than an interesting job. Wrong on every single count. I d like to suggest that we do know what motivates people. The research over the last 60 or 70 years always brings us back to the same conclusions. People are motivated by unmet goals which drive them to achieve.
Drivers are far more complex than simple material rewards.
The most powerful drivers seem to be intrinsic rather than extrinsic. It is an internal engine, and its benefits show up over a long period of time. Managers who are genuinely interested in motivation as opposed to movement should do three simple things. Know their people, as individuals and human beings. Provide the conditions for people s inner drivers to activate and the motivational wheel to turn.