Return to Books

    Why Motivating People Doesn’t Work … and What Does

    The New Science of Leading, Energizing, and Engaging

    By Susan Fowler

    Published 09/2014



    About the Author

    Susan Fowler is a senior consulting partner for the Ken Blanchard Companies, a leadership consultant and coach, and a professor in the Master of Science in Executive Leadership program at the University of San Diego. She is the coauthor with Ken Blanchard of Self Leadership and the One Minute Manager, Leading at a Higher Level, and Empowerment. Her profound insights into leadership and motivation stem from years of experience and research, which she now shares in her compelling book, Why Motivating People Doesn't Work... and What Does.

    Main Idea

    Susan Fowler’s book challenges the traditional methods of motivating employees through external rewards and punishments, known as the carrot-and-stick approach. She argues that genuine and lasting motivation stems from satisfying three fundamental psychological needs: autonomy, relatedness, and competence. Fowler introduces the concept of "Optimal Motivation," where leaders facilitate environments that allow employees to fulfill these needs, leading to increased productivity, engagement, and a profound sense of purpose and fulfillment.

    Table of Contents

    1. Introduction: Stop Beating Your People with Carrots
    2. The Motivation Dilemma
    3. A Spectrum of Motivation
    4. What Motivates People: The Real Story
    5. The MVPs of Self-Regulation
    6. Motivation is a Skill
    7. Making Shift Happen
    8. Rethinking Five Beliefs that Erode Workplace Motivation
    9. The Promise of Optimal Motivation

    Introduction: Stop Beating Your People with Carrots

    In the introduction, Fowler sets the stage by highlighting a fundamental truth: people are always motivated, but the quality and source of that motivation vary significantly. She emphasizes that motivation stemming from values, purpose, joy, or compassion differs vastly from motivation driven by ego, power, status, or external rewards. The latter, while potentially effective in the short term, fails to provide lasting engagement and fulfillment.

    The Motivation Dilemma

    The crux of the motivation dilemma lies in the fact that leaders are held accountable for motivating their employees, a task they cannot achieve through traditional means. Fowler illustrates this point through the appraisal process, encouraging leaders to reflect on their own experiences in meetings and daily tasks. The appraisal process, she explains, determines an employee's well-being and subsequent behavior. Positive appraisal leads to positive intentions and behavior, fostering genuine engagement.

    A Spectrum of Motivation

    Fowler introduces the Spectrum of Motivation model, which categorizes motivation into six distinct outlooks:

    • Disinterested Motivation: The individual finds no value in the activity and sees it as a waste of time.

    • External Motivation: The individual is driven by external rewards such as money, status, or power.

    • Imposed Motivation: The individual feels pressured to engage in the activity to avoid guilt, shame, or fear.

    • Aligned Motivation: The individual links the activity to a significant personal value, such as learning.

    • Integrated Motivation: The individual connects the activity to a life or work purpose, such as contributing to a greater cause.

    • Inherent Motivation: The individual simply enjoys the activity and finds it inherently rewarding.

    Suboptimal motivations, such as disinterested, external, and imposed outlooks, are likened to motivational junk food, providing temporary satisfaction but lacking in long-term benefits. In contrast, optimal motivations like aligned, integrated, and inherent outlooks are considered motivational health food, promoting sustained well-being and productivity.

      Sign Up for Free

    Sign up for FREE and get access to 1,400+ books summaries.

    You May Also Like

     12 min
    The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

    A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

    By Mark Manson
     19 min
    The Alchemist

    By Paulo Coelho
     16 min
    Becoming

    By Michelle Obama
     18 min
    Atomic Habits

    An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

    By James Clear
    FREE
     14 min
    The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

    30th Anniversary Edition

    By Stephen R. Covey
     14 min
    Unbroken

    A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption

    By Laura Hillenbrand
     22 min
    Story

    Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting

    By Robert McKee
     11 min
    Rich Dad Poor Dad

    What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money - That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!

    By Robert T. Kiyosaki
     13 min
    Outliers

    The Story of Success

    By Malcolm Gladwell
     13 min
    Milk and Honey

    By Rupi Kaur
    FREE
     20 min
    How To Win Friends and Influence People

    The All-Time Classic Manual Of People Skills

    By Dale Carnegie
     8 min
    Blink

    The Power of Thinking Without Thinking

    By Malcolm Gladwell
     12 min
    The Woman in Me

    By Britney Spears
     17 min
    Untamed

    By Glennon Doyle
     17 min
    The Power

    Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

    By Rhonda Byrne
     10 min
    The Power of Habit

    Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

    By Charles Duhigg
     15 min
    Greenlights

    By Matthew McConaughey
     18 min
    Maybe You Should Talk to Someone

    By Lori Gottlieb
     18 min
    Quiet: The Power of Introverts

    The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking

    By Susan Cain
     16 min
    The Sun and Her Flowers

    By Rupi Kaur