This video is fun on a couple of levels – first, it is fascinating how much more engaging this soundbite is with the animation associated to it. It makes you realize how much more we can digest (and focus) when multiple channels are utilized (in this case, auditory and visual).

Next, I think the research is interesting, which concludes that people aren’t motivated by money – once they are paid enough to be comfortable – they are motivated by 3 things: autonomy, mastery and purpose. That may sound all motherhood and apple pie, but the research here may be enough to motivate companies to think about how they incent people differently.

In the work we do, these motivators come into play in several ways. Sometimes we get pushback on the need to define a strategy or the need to broadly communicate it. Since people need to feel they have a purpose (sidenote: being “responsive” or “aligned to business needs” might not make people feel a whole lot of purpose), focusing on a vision that inspires people and communicating it out to the organization is incredibly important. And we need to set up organizational structures that allow people to have autonomy and develop mastery in the pursuit of that purpose. Easier said than done, I know…