Summary: "When we surveyed hundreds of managers around the world...95 percent of these leaders fundamentally misunderstood the most important source of motivation...the conventional rules miss the fundamental act of good management: managing for progress." The Progress Principle, pages 3 & 10 The husband-and-wife team of Amabile and Kramer have studied creativity for more than 35 years. Along the way, they have challenged some long-held assumptions about how we work, how we create. During a year-long study involving over 120,000 work events reported as they happened, they noticed a pattern: what mattered most in any work environment, no matter the worker's basic personality or position in the company, progress, however small, was the greatest indicator of their happiness and performance. Golden Egg Making Progress, However Small, is the Greatest Indicator of Performance and Satisfaction "[O]ur research is unambiguous. As inner work life rises and falls, so does performance...making progress in meaningful work is the most powerful stimulant to great inner work life." The Progress Principle, pages 45 & 74 Ask any manager what motivates their top workers, what would turn their laggards around, and they'll comment on carrots and sticks. Extrinsic rewards and punishment are the average manager's first (and often last) resort. It turns out that's wrong. Studying data collected in real time from dozens of employees at seven companies, progress was the outstanding causative factor. Whether the company was floundering or flying, whether their manager was a saint or a jerk, it was the daily small wins which motivated people to try harder, to come up with more creative solutions, and to be happier while doing more. The Progress Principle states that progress contributes to positive inner work life, which contributes to progress, creating an upward spiral of creativity, engagement, and performance. Inner work life is defined as "the confluence of perceptions, emotions, and motivations that individuals experience as they react to and make sense of the events of their workday." It is inner because it is invisible to others, including supervisors. It relates to work because that's where it takes place, and that's what it affects. And it is life because it is ongoing, growing and changing, and affects life outside work. Whether it's employees, partners, co-workers, or our own children, fostering positive inner work life creates happiness while motivating greater performance. GEM #1 describes some ways to do this. GEM #2 highlights a critical warning about the asymmetry of good and bad events. GEM #1 Support Progress with Catalysts and People with Nourishment "[C]atalysts are triggers directed at the project, nourishers are interpersonal triggers, directed at the person." The Progress Principle, page 82 Catalysts, actions which affect work, and nourishers, events which affect people, are powerful because while they contribute to progress, even before that, they contribute to positive inner work life. The effects of catalysts and nourishers are immediate. These are actions all of us can take to contribute to progress and positive inner work life in others. The 7 Major Catalysts: Setting clear goals — knowing where you're going, and why Allowing autonomy — self-direction creates drive Providing resources — having the proper tools makes any task more efficient and enjoyable Giving enough time—but not too much — constant time pressure is destructive, and low time pressure contributes to boredom Help with the work — sometimes we all need information or skills we don't have Learning from problems and successes — shining a non-judgmental light on failure in order to learn from it contributes to psychological safety Allowing ideas to flow — good communication without negativity The 4 Major Nourishers Respect — recognition, honesty, civility Encouragement — enthusiasm,
