Why Motivating People Doesn't Work...and What Does, Second Edition - by Susan Fowler (Paperback)

About the Book

"You can't motivate people, but you can help people learn to motivate themselves. This second edition includes new material on inspiring self-motivation in remote workers and a distributed workforce. What if the answer to motivating people is to stop trying to motivate them? Leadership researcher, consultant, and coach Susan Fowler says that overtly trying to motivate your employees can be frustrating for everyone involved and doesn't work in the long term. You can't force people to be motivated-but you can help them find the inner commitment that increases productivity and engagement and gives them a profound sense of purpose and fulfillment. The second edition of this bestseller includes a new chapter on remote and hybrid work as well as updated content on postpandemic management, DEIJ initiatives, and the Great Resignation. Fowler uses the Self-Determination Theory to show the positive effects of optimal motivation on people's vitality, productivity, and creativity and lays out a tested model and course of action for leaders. In addition, she includes compelling examples and anecdotal evidence from applying her techniques in organizations and with individuals worldwide. Fowler shows leaders how to get out of the way and encourage their people to self-motivate and foster personal excellence"--

Book Synopsis

Top leadership researcher, consultant, and coach Susan Fowler says stop trying to motivate people! It's frustrating for everyone involved and it just doesn't work. You can't motivate people--they are already motivated but generally in superficial and short-term ways. In this book, Fowler builds upon the latest scientific research on the nature of human motivation to lay out a tested model and course of action that will help leaders guide their people toward the kind of motivation that not only increases productivity and engagement but that gives them a profound sense of purpose and fulfillment.

Fowler argues that leaders still depend on traditional carrot-and-stick techniques because they haven't understood their alternatives and don't know what skills are necessary to apply the new science of motivation. Her Optimal Motivation process shows leaders how to move people away from dependence on external rewards and help them discover how their jobs can meet the deeper psychological needs--for autonomy, relatedness, and competence--that science tells us result in meaningful and sustainable motivation.

Optimal Motivation has been proven in organizations all over the world--Fowler's clients include Microsoft, CVS, NASA, the Catholic Leadership Institute, H&R Block, Mattel, and dozens more. Throughout the book, she illustrates how each step of the process works using real-life examples. Susan Fowler 's book is the groundbreaking answer for leaders who want to get motivation right!

Review Quotes

"Fowler (Master Your Motivation), a professor in executive leadership at the University of San Diego, considers ways to motivate others in this informative outing. Countering 'carrot-and-stick' incentivizing techniques, Fowler argues that overreliance on external rewards such as bonuses undermines the 'energy... [and] sense of positive well-being' that people need to achieve goals. These methods fail, she argues, because they take an oversimplified view of motivation. In her 'Spectrum of Motivation' model, Fowler outlines optimal and suboptimal types, from external motivation (for example, an employee who's driven by a desire to show off status in a meeting--the equivalent of 'motivational junk food') to integrated motivation (an employee who links their performance to an internal value, which is psychologically sustainable). To instill a sense of internal motivation in workers, Fowler suggests business leaders foster environments that encourage autonomy and feelings of professional competence, which can promote sustained effort. While this may prove challenging in hybrid business environments, the author suggests leaders allow work from home flexibility within reasonable limits and make a point of keeping open lines of communication with team members. Fowler bases her advice in thorough research, and her insights into the motivational challenges of 21st-century workplaces are especially salient. Leaders who want to amp up employee morale should take a look." (May)
--Publishers Weekly

"We know motivating people doesn't work, but we've figured out what does. I've witnessed firsthand how Susan's work, captured in this book, teaches you how to create a space where your tribe members will flourish."
--Garry Ridge, Chairman Emeritus, WD-40 Company

"You make a difference as a leader. What kind of difference will you make? If you put the ideas from this book into action, you will have a better chance of being a servant leader rather than a self-serving one."
--Ken Blanchard, Amazon Hall of Fame author

"No one wants to be bored or disengaged. Fowler provides a groundbreaking approach for reframing traditional motivation into cutting-edge leadership."
--Marshall Goldsmith, author of the New York Times and global bestseller The Earned Life

"Think of this book as Daniel Pink's Drive for trainers."
--TD Magazine

"Richly rewarding book...a romp across the ins and outs of motivation."
--People Management

"I encourage leaders to read this book--but with a warning. They may get more than they expect. I learned as much about my own motivation as I did about the motivation of those I lead."
--M. Paula Daoust, PhD, Director, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas

"Susan's book is provocative and pragmatic at the same time. She has successfully tapped into a longing I have had as a leader; how can I help people do what I think they naturally want to do--grow, develop, and fulfill their potential? Susan's propositions are surefire and easy to put to action"
--Dr. Santrupt B Misra, CEO, Carbon Black Business and Director, Group H.R., Aditya Birla Group

About the Author

Susan Fowler is the founder and CEO of Mojo Moments, a company dedicated to building psychological capacity in leaders at all levels. The Mojo Moments channel partner network spans the globe to deliver empirically sound and innovative learning experiences. Fowler has more than forty years of experience in leadership and motivation as a researcher, consultant, and keynote speaker in over forty countries worldwide. She is the creator and lead developer of The Ken Blanchard Company's Self Leadership curriculum. She teaches executive leadership at the University of San Diego, and she is the author or coauthor of eight books, including the bestseller translated into fourteen languages Why Motivating People Doesn't Work . . . and What Does, Master Your Motivation, and with Ken Blanchard, the bestselling Self Leadership and The One Minute Manager.