Are You Primed to Perform?

One of the biggest questions leaders ask is, "How do I motivate my team?" Often we structure a monetary reward system to elicit motivation, but as William Henderson says, "Money is weak glue." In Primed to Perform: How to Build the Highest Performing Cultures Through the Science of Total Motivation, authors Neel Doshi and Lindsay McGregor suggest that "why you work affects how well you work."

The Science of Total Motivation

Their research, admittedly built upon that of many who have come before them, has found three primary drivers of positive work motivation: play, purpose, and potential.

The Three Positive Motivators

Play is simply when you enjoy an activity and find pleasure in the work.

Purpose is believing the outcome of the work is meaningful.

Potential is a second-order outcome but is when you believe a task is an intermediate step to a meaningful future.

Play is the strongest factor, with purpose having about half as much of an impact on motivation, and potential about one-sixth as much.

The Three Negative Motivators

While these are direct and internal factors, the authors have found that three indirect and external factors decrease motivation. Those three factors are emotional pressure, economic pressure, and inertia.

Emotional pressure from shame or fear guides our actions and serves to demotivate us.

Economic pressure occurs when we complete a task primarily in order to earn a reward or avoid a loss, which also decreases motivation.

Inertia sets in when we no longer see a real purpose or progress in our work, leading to high demotivation.

When Indirect Motivators Work (and When They Don't)

The authors cite the work of Dan Ariely to suggest that when a job requires only technical performance then indirect motivators can elicit acceptable performance. However, if your organization faces adaptive challenges then you need employees who feel a sense of play, purpose, and potential in their work.

Lastly, the authors stress creating a performance management system that elicits and rewards the types of adaptive, direct motivation behaviors outlined above.

Joshua Chamberlain: A Master Class in Motivation

In reading this book it is hard not to continually return to the example of Joshua Chamberlain and his intervention with the 2nd Maine mutineers. The scene from Gettysburg that we show of Chamberlain speaking with these men makes clear that he addressed all six factors, trying to increase their direct motivators while decreasing the indirect or de-motivators.

How Chamberlain Increased Positive Motivation:

Play: Chamberlain reminded the men of their original reasons for joining the unit - reconnecting them with the intrinsic satisfaction they once found in their service.

Purpose: He drew their attention back to meaning by asserting, "This is an army out to set other men free" - connecting their individual actions to a larger cause.

Potential: He spoke of the possibilities both for the army if they were to win the battle and for the individual men: "We'll give you your weapons back, and nothing more will be said by anyone" - showing them a path forward.

How Chamberlain Reduced Negative Motivation:

Emotional Pressure: Chamberlain decreased this by assuring the men they would not be executed if they continued to refuse duty - removing fear and shame as motivators.

Economic Pressure: Chamberlain did not offer economic incentives to rejoin the unit, and thus avoided the trap of piling on external rewards that would undermine intrinsic motivation.

Inertia: For men stuck in limbo, he broke the stagnation of the situation and allowed them all to move on with their lives, one way or another - creating momentum and choice.

Modern Applications

The Chamberlain example helps prove the model, and the model helps shed light on why Chamberlain was so successful with these men. For today's leaders, this framework offers practical guidance:

Increasing Play

Help team members find aspects of their work they genuinely enjoy
Match tasks to people's natural interests and strengths
Create opportunities for creativity and autonomy
Celebrate progress and learning, not just outcomes

Enhancing Purpose

Connect individual roles to larger organizational mission
Share stories of how the work impacts customers or society
Help people understand the "why" behind their tasks
Make the meaning explicit and personal

Building Potential

Show clear paths for growth and development
Connect current work to future opportunities
Provide learning experiences that build capabilities
Help people see how current challenges prepare them for bigger roles

Reducing Emotional Pressure

Create psychological safety where mistakes are learning opportunities
Focus on support rather than punishment
Address fear and anxiety directly
Build confidence through small wins

Minimizing Economic Pressure

Don't over-rely on bonuses and rewards
Focus on intrinsic satisfaction alongside fair compensation
Avoid creating competition that undermines collaboration
Recognize contribution, not just achievement

Breaking Inertia

Create momentum through small, achievable goals
Provide regular feedback and progress updates
Change routines that have become stagnant
Give people choices in how they approach their work

Questions for Leaders

Reflecting on your own team's motivation:

What brings joy and satisfaction to your team members in their work? How can you amplify these elements?
How clearly do people understand the purpose and impact of their work? Where can you make meaning more explicit?
What potential do people see in their current roles? How can you connect today's work to tomorrow's opportunities?
What fears or pressures might be undermining motivation? How can you address these directly?
Where has work become routine or stagnant? What can you do to create new energy and momentum?

The Performance Management Connection

Remember that your performance management system should reward and recognize the behaviors that stem from play, purpose, and potential rather than just punishing poor performance or bribing for compliance.

When you create conditions where people find genuine satisfaction in their work, believe in its importance, and see how it contributes to their growth, you unlock the kind of adaptive performance that no amount of external pressure can produce.

If you are interested in exploring culture and motivation with your leaders, we'd love to talk with you about how our Gettysburg case studies can help!