How to Get People to Do Stuff

Intrinsic Drives and Real Motivations

What drives people to act? What motivates your employees? If you knew, you would get more out of your interactions with them, and so would they, including deeper commitment, clearer communication and greater engagement. You would be able to get them “to do stuff” that you need to get done by working with what they want to achieve. To that end, turn to scientific and psychological studies that reveal useful information about human motivation. Applying psychology to interpersonal relations can make you a better leader and communicator. Start by working with the “seven drives” that motivate people:

1. “The Need to Belong”

Most people yearn to be insiders. Humans evolved to want to interact with each other. Use these strategies to evoke people’s “sense of belonging”:

• Build social connection – Students worked harder on shared tasks when they thought they shared a birthday with others in the group. People care what others think.
• Use nouns instead of verbs – The way you phrase a request can strengthen people’s sense of group membership. For example, ask someone to become a donor, rather than asking...