What is the best way to motivate people?
And we mean true, intrinsic motivation. Not the kind where people are forced to do things through fear or intimidation, or where they are given rewards for completing tasks. But the deep-seated desire to do something because it is personally fulfilling.
Providing your employees with the possibility of acquiring a new skill, certificate, or growing in other ways is a great way to not only make them more engaged but also to reduce turnover.
But still, the question remains: How do you inspire them to actually use those opportunities without making them mandatory?
We'll argue that the best way to do so is to show them examples of people who have benefited from learning and development opportunities.
In this article, we'll explain why that is and how Lorino can help you achieve it.
What Drives (Intrinsic) Motivation?
But first, let's take a step back and unpack what intrinsic motivation means.
People who are intrinsically motivated are driven by a desire to learn, to grow, or to achieve something for its own sake. They find the task itself interesting or enjoyable and are self-motivated to do it.
On the other hand, extrinsically motivated people are driven by external rewards such as money, grades, or approval from others. They find the task uninteresting or unpleasant, but do it because they want to get the external reward.
The difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation is important because research has shown that intrinsically motivated people are more likely to persist in the face of difficulty, be creative, and have a stronger sense of self-determination.
In other words, intrinsic motivation is more effective in promoting positive outcomes than extrinsic motivation.
How can you foster intrinsic motivation in your employees?
So here's the paradox: how do you make people intrinsically motivated if the whole point of intrinsic motivation is that it comes from within?
The answer, according to Deci and Ryan's self-determination theory, is by providing opportunities for autonomy, relatedness, and competence.
Autonomy is the feeling of being in control of one's own life. Relatedness is the feeling of connectedness to others. Competence is the feeling of being effective and having the ability to meet challenges.
And what is a better way to provide both, relatedness and make your employees feel like they are able to do something than by showing examples of peers who have already done so?
Peers Engaging Peers
One of the best ways to engage employees is through their peers.
When people see that others like them have done something, seized opportunities and actually benefited from them, they are more likely to do the same.
They are also more likely to try out new things and experiment with different approaches if they know that there is someone they can relate to and who has already been successful.
And it also promotes a healthy sense of competition, which can be motivating in and of itself.
The Power of Positive Reinforcement
Humans are social animals. We are constantly looking to others for cues on how to behave, and that translates into the workplace as well.
If we see our peers being successful, it makes us want to be successful too. We want to feel like we belong and that we are competent.
It sends the message that "if they can do it, I can do it too", and tells us that these opportunities are worth pursuing and that they can lead to real, tangible benefits.
This is the power of positive reinforcement: it not only tells us what to do but also why we should do it.
How to Encourage Your Employees to Share Their Successes
The thing with sharing successes and achievements is that not everyone is comfortable with that. It can feel boastful or like bragging.
So in order to encourage your employees to share their successes, you need to create a safe and supportive environment where they feel comfortable doing so.
And that's exactly what Lorino does.
Share Success with Lorino
Let's say Susan from legal just got certified in e-discovery. She's feeling pretty good about herself and wants to share her accomplishment with her colleagues.
She goes onto the Lorino platform and writes a post about it. Maybe she even attaches a photo of her certificate.
Then, because she's part of the legal team, her post is automatically shared with everyone in the company who is on the legal team (or other teams too, depending on your settings).
People can like and comment on her post, and she can even start a discussion about e-discovery if she wants to, share her insights and tips with her colleagues and tell them how to get certified too.
This will not only make Susan feel good about herself, but it will also show her colleagues that e-discovery is something that they can pursue too and that it can be beneficial for their careers.
Or maybe Mark from sales had brilliant input in your last pitch and now you, as their manager, want to give him some public recognition for it.
You can write a post about it on Lorino and tag Mark in it. Then, not only will he get a notification about it, but everyone else in the company will see it too. And people can like and comment on your post, adding their own congratulations.
This is a great way to give employees the recognition they deserve, while also motivating others to contribute and bring their own ideas to the table.
Why Lorino?
At this point, you probably see the benefits and opportunities, but might be thinking: why Lorino?
There are other social intranets, networks, and platforms available that could do the job as well. Or why can't you just use email or chat for that?
Here's the thing: those other platforms are not designed for this specific purpose. They might have some features that work well for sharing successes, but they are not built with that as their primary focus.
Lorino, on the other hand, is designed specifically for promoting a culture of learning and development and sharing successes. It's built to make it easy and fun to do so.
Plus, it's a social type of network for work, which means that people are already familiar with the interface and how to use it. There's no learning curve, which makes it more likely that people will actually use it.
And lastly, apart from being able to share your successes, Lorino offers a lot of other features and benefits that help promote a culture of learning and development, which couldn't possibly fit into one blog post.
But if you want to learn more, book a free demo and we'll gladly show you around.
In Conclusion
So there you have it: the power of positive reinforcement and how you can use it to your advantage with Lorino. Why not give it a try? It might just be the thing that takes your company culture to the next level.
