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How to Be Awesome at Your Job

1013: Harnessing the Six Motives that Shape Culture with Neel Doshi

Nov 21, 2024
Neel Doshi, co-founder of Vega Factor and co-author of 'Primed to Perform,' dives deep into the science of total motivation. He breaks down the six key motives that shape corporate culture and discusses how certain metrics can either foster or hinder motivation. Neel unveils the importance of focusing on positive motives like play and purpose while addressing the pitfalls of economic and emotional pressures. Additionally, he offers insights on how strong team cultures and genuine engagement can drive performance and sustainability in the workplace.
40:45

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Understanding the six primary motives—play, purpose, potential, emotional pressure, economic pressure, and inertia—enables organizations to cultivate a high-performing culture.
  • For organizations to truly enhance workplace motivation, they must utilize metrics constructively, promoting engagement rather than creating a culture of fear and pressure.

Deep dives

Understanding the Six Motives of Motivation

Motivation in a workplace culture is fundamentally driven by six primary motives: play, purpose, potential, emotional pressure, economic pressure, and inertia. Play involves engaging in activities for enjoyment, while purpose refers to the belief that one's work has meaningful contributions. Potential relates to the anticipation of future rewards or accomplishments, but emotional and economic pressures can negatively impact motivation. A culture that focuses on maximizing play, purpose, and potential fosters high performance, while emphasizing the latter three types of pressure often results in poor outcomes.

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