KEY POINTS

Management practices that aim to motivate change through control or pressure — such as rewards, mandates, or punishments — may lead to short-term gains, but are also linked with decreases in productivity, innovation, and job satisfaction.
Leveraging staff values and interests and taking actions that satisfy needs for autonomy, mastery and relatedness have been found to spur the high-quality motivation that is linked with greater performance, innovation, and change acceptance.
Learn how to put theory into practice in your change, measuring progress — plus, specialized tips for middle managers and senior leadership.

During organizational change, we can often grow frustrated by resistance or lack of enthusiasm for the shift amongst staff or colleagues. We may wonder, “Why can't people simply embrace the change and take it on as if it were their idea?”

At least part of the reason may be that too often, the practices we use during change threaten, rather than enable, critical drivers of motivation. Such practices may produce short-term compliance, but sustained behavior change is unlikely.

What's the secret to motivating others at work? people during organizational change?

Over forty years of research on self-determination theory reveals core insights into motivation and demotivation in the workplace. This body of work provides concepts and practices to consider integrating into your efforts to motivate others at work. The ideas outlined in self-determination theory, along with change readiness, organizational fairness, and trust, are foundational to an effective change approach.

Different types of motivation are linked with different outcomes

First, it’s essential to understand that motivation comes in different forms, which are linked with different results. These types are named various things in the research, but here we’ll divide them into a) motivation driven by pressure (external or internal) and b)motivation spurred by one’s values, passions, and interests.

MOTIVATION DRIVEN BY PRESSURE IS LINKED WITH DECREASED PRODUCTIVITY

Some forms of motivation, such as external rewards (more money!) or punishments (If you don’t go along with this you might not get a promotion!), can create short-term gains or work well for rote tasks. However, research-indicates that motivation in response to pressure, even when self-induced, is linked with reductions in productivity, learning, innovation satisfaction, and well-being.

When we use carrots and sticks during organizational change, ramp up performance pressure, or lead via unexplained mandates, we tap into this type of motivation. This can lead people to take shortcuts or do "just enough" to comply but is unlikely to lead to the degree of adoption necessary for sustained change.

MOTIVATION DRIVEN BY VALUES IS LINKED WITH INCREASED PERFORMANCE & INNOVATION

Conversely, when people see the value of what they are doing, even when it's not interesting, they can tap into sustained motivation, sometimes called autonomous motivation. In other words, they make the task or the change their own. Rather than being driven by what they are being "told" or "asked" to do, they are choosing to do it based on the value they see in it.

For example, a staff person driven to provide the highest levels of service to customers may be motivated to make detailed notes in the CRM, even though the task is boring. She does this not because it's mandatory or influences her performance reviews but because it taps into her value to provide top-level service.

This higher quality motivation is linked with increases in performance, creativity, job satisfaction, and overall well-being. In fact, one group of researchers estimated a 3:1 return for organizations that invest in efforts to enable and foster employees' internal motivators.

Three things drive quality motivation: autonomy, mastery, and relatedness

For organizations interested in enabling this higher quality motivation, self-determination theory provides key information.

The theory, validated by forty years of research, outlines three main factors that can be satisfied or threatened by our workplace experiences. When these are supported, they are linked with higher-quality forms of employee motivation. Importantly, studies done in various countries have found these factors to be drivers of motivation, although the degree of importance may vary by person or national culture.

The factors are:

AUTONOMY— I have a choice

Autonomy is supported when people feel they have some agency and choice in what they do and how they do it. This does not suggest complete freedom or independence, however. Research indicates autonomy can be supported even when aspects of work are mandatory. Under such circumstances, we need to explain the reasons or rationale and provide options for how to engage. For instance, during an organizational change this may look like providing choices about how to change, not whether to change.

MASTERY— I am effective and impactful
Mastery, sometimes referred to as competence, is satisfied when people feel they have the resources, skills, and expertise to succeed and grow.
In the context of change, when we ask people to adopt new standards or behaviors, it is essential to provide information, training, and ample resources (such as time) to support staff to develop the new competencies necessary for continued success. It’s critical to allow space for learning, and mistakes, prior to setting expectations for certain levels of performance.
RELATEDNESS — I matter here

Relatedness is supported when people feel connected to their team and organizations. They feel like they have a place, belong, and matter.

Organizational changes can feel like a threat when they shift the power dynamic in organizations or challenge individuals' sense of professional identity. (If I am no longer the expert around here, what is my role?) It's essential to engage people in the process of change and acknowledge their perspectives to ensure they feel valued and respected.

For better outcomes, design changes with these factors in mind

Research indicates positive outcomes happen— including improved performance, greater customer satisfaction, and increased staff well-being — when organizations, managers, and supervisors take action to support the three core needs outlined in self-determination theory.

Specifically related to change, one study found that providing a rationale for the change, offering choices, and acknowledging staff perspectives and feelings about the change all supported change acceptance.

Many studies indicate the effects of such efforts are generally moderate, i.e., they make a difference, but it may not be overwhelming. However, a modest positive benefit is undoubtedly better than using tactics that decrease motivation. As noted previously, various studies indicate that management tactics can reduce motivation when they thwart these basic needs or focus mainly on rewards and controls.

For instance, consider a study involving two groups of people tasked with instructing learners to solve a spatial relations puzzle. One group was told they would be held accountable for students' learning (pressure-inducing). The other group was simply tasked to help students learn how to solve the puzzle.

The researchers found that “teachers under pressure" talked twice as much, gave three times as many instructions, and were twice as critical as teachers who hadn't been told they would be held accountable. Perhaps most importantly, students of "teachers under pressure" reported being less satisfied with the learning experience and were less able to solve problems independently than students in the other group.

Additional studies indicate that manager and staff experiences under pressure are not dissimilar to these teachers and students.

Bottomline: When choosing practices targeting motivation, it's essential to look for those found to help as well as to avoid practices, even those commonly used in today’s organizations, that could be counterproductive.

Putting the Idea into Practice

When designing your organizational change and change management approach, consider integrating practices such as those outlined below to facilitate the quality motivation required to sustain meaningful organizational transformation.

INVITE PARTICIPATION

Engage staff to play an active role in organizational change, keeping in mind this can be done in various ways. Be sure to align expectations for participation with the corporate culture and change context.

Get comfortable with not being the expert, not having all the answers.
Ask open questions, such as: How do you see this change? What do you make of this problem? What solutions do you see?
Encourage staff to take initiative in areas where they have autonomy (see “Offer Choices” below.)
Clarify where and how staff input will be used to inform critical decisions.

ACKNOWLEDGE PEOPLE’S PERSPECTIVES

Making space for varying points of view can often lead to surprising insights. However, acknowledging such perspectives does not demand agreeing with them. What’s important is to ensure people feel heard, which supports people's sense of relatedness.

Listen, listen, listen.
Allow people to share perspectives without offering countering views or judgments.
Summarize what you are hearing from people both ‘in-the-moment’ and in follow-up communications.

OFFER CHOICES AND EXPLANATIONS

Offering options is not about providing absolute freedom. Instead, it's often about giving space for alternatives within a set structure or boundaries.

Clarify responsibilities: Who is deciding/doing what as part of this change?
Clarify boundaries: Where do people have options? What is required? What can be adjusted, by whom? Explain why.
Clarify the vision and importance of the change: Share the organizational vision. Invite individuals and teams to identify how this change is meaningful for them (which may not be the same as the organization's rationale.)
Use language that emphasizes personal choice in communications.

PROVIDE TRAINING, COACHING, AND QUALITY FEEDBACK

Developing a sense of mastery is supported when the organization and managers provide the resources necessary to learn new skills, space to learn, and quality feedback focused on facts, not assumptions.

Set realistic but challenging expectations (learning goals before performance goals)
Acknowledge effort and initiative
Allow space for learning and mistakes
Provide factual feedback on performance (what is happening) — not assumptions (why it is happening)
Gather input and provide support to help people overcome challenges

MEASURING YOUR INFLUENCE ON AUTONOMY, MASTERY, and RELATEDNESS

When you invest in practices such as those outlined above, you’ll want to gauge the influence your efforts have on outcomes. As noted previously, findings in self-determination theory research indicate moderate linkages between such efforts and positive outcomes. This means there are a variety of other things, such as individual and organizational context, culture, the complexity of the change, that will also come into play to influence results.

Below are examples of the types of questions, usually evaluated on a scale of agreement, that have been used in research studies to evaluate shifts in each of the drivers of motivation. You could include such questions in pulse surveys, focus groups, or other forms of engagement throughout the lifecycle of your change, to gauge progress.

(The examples below are from Gagné’s study specific to self-determination and organizational change, as well as the Basic Need Satisfaction at Work scale. You’ll want to look deeper at the validity and reliability of these questions prior to using them.)

Autonomy

Do you feel you personally have control over the impacted change?
Do you have the opportunity to propose a way of implementing the changes?
I feel pressured at work.
I am free to express my ideas and opinions at work.

Mastery

Most days, I feel a sense of accomplishment from working.
I have been able to learn new and interesting skills on my job.
Do you understand why the changes are implemented in this way?

Relatedness

People at work care about me.
Do you feel that the organization takes into account your opinions and ideas in the change implementation?

Change Acceptance

To what extent do you accept this implemented change?
To what extent do you see the change as a stimulating challenge for you?

Tips for Middle Managers and Senior Leaders

MIDDLE MANAGERS

Those in middle management have a significant influence on how staff experience change. Middle managers are often called on to support the organization's agenda, design aspects of the change for their teams, and support their staff through the transition…all while processing the impact of the change themselves. It's a tall order. Leveraging learning from self-determination theory can help you keep all parties positively engaged, including yourself.

Reflect on how the change impacts you: Consider how you are reacting and receiving the change. How might this affect your staff's reaction and experience? Consider if you feel pressured by the change — even if grounded in a sense of accountability. How might you avoid passing this pressure on and risk demotivated staff? What supports might help you to navigate the change?
Model the behavior you want to see: For aspects of the change under your authority, leverage the practices outlined above to support your staff's need for accountability, mastery, and relatedness.
Influence the broader change: Partner with the change team or leaders to create space for you and your team to provide input to the change solution and change process. Ask questions, raise concerns productively, and advocate for adequate resourcing to support your team to adopt the change.

SENIOR LEADERS

Clarify the vision: As a senior leader, you are the best positioned to clarify the vision, rationale, and importance of the change to the organization and all those who are part of it. Tap into the language of shared purpose and values, which can inspire employees at all levels.
Set the tone: With the change team and in broader communications, set expectations for inviting input, acknowledging perspectives, and allowing space for learning (and mistakes) before setting performance expectations.
Clarify boundaries: Invite discussion with those designing practical aspects of the change to ensure alignment on mandatory change elements and where flexibility can be provided.
Recognize that pressure can backfire: While carrot and stick tactics may be tempting, they can lead to shortcuts or check-the-box responses to change. Particularly if you are interested in supporting problem-solving, innovation, and creativity, these are best avoided.

References

Basic psychological need satisfaction at work scale. (n.d.). Retrieved January 17, 2022, from https://depts.washington.edu/fammed/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/SDT_needs_work.pdf

Deci, E. L., Olafsen, A. H., & Ryan, R. M. (2017). Self-determination theory in work organizations: The state of a science. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 4, 19-43.

Deci, E. L., Spiegel, N. H., Ryan, R. M., Koestner, R., & Kauffman, M. (1982). Effects of performance standards on teaching styles: Behavior of controlling teachers. Journal of Educational Psychology, 74(6), 852.

Gagné, M., Koestner, R., & Zuckerman, M. (2000). Facilitating acceptance of organizational change: The importance of self‐determination 1. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 30(9), 1843-1852.

Ilardi, B. C., Leone, D., Kasser, R., & Ryan, R. M. (1993). Employee and supervisor ratings of motivation: Main effects and discrepancies associated with job satisfaction and adjustment in a factory setting. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 23, 1789-1805.

Kasser, T., Davey, J., & Ryan, R. M. (1992). Motivation, dependability, and employee supervisor discrepancies in psychiatric vocational rehabilitation settings. Rehabilitation Psychology, 37, 175-187.

Martela, F., Hankonen, N., Ryan, R. M., & Vansteenkiste, M. (2021). Motivating voluntary compliance to behavioural restrictions: Self-determination theory–based checklist of principles for COVID-19 and other emergency communications. European Review of Social Psychology, 1-43.

Ntoumanis, N., Ng, J. Y., Prestwich, A., Quested, E., Hancox, J. E., Thøgersen-Ntoumani, C., ... & Williams, G. C. (2021). A meta-analysis of self-determination theory-informed intervention studies in the health domain: effects on motivation, health behavior, physical, and psychological health. Health Psychology Review, 15(2), 214-244.

Rigby, C. S., & Ryan, R. M. (2018). Self-determination theory in human resource development: New directions and practical considerations. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 20(2), 133-147.

Slemp, G. R., Lee, M. A., & Mossman, L. H. (2021). Interventions to support autonomy, competence, and relatedness needs in organizations: A systematic review with recommendations for research and practice. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 94(2), 427-457.

Stone, D. N., Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2009). Beyond talk: Creating autonomous motivation through self-determination theory. Journal of General Management, 34(3), 75-91.

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