Ask 10 managers what is the best motivator for their teams and most will give you the same answer - money.
They are wrong. 100%, horribly wrong. It is a myth that you would be best to ignore. Don’t argue with them - as someone who has argued plenty, it won’t help. Just know in your heart and mind they are wrong.
As you get to know the individuals on your team, you should pay attention to what drives them. You will discover that some of them are driven by money, but they are the exception.
Read Drive by Daniel Pink or the works of Dan Airely and you can read the science that disproves this myth. Most of us are motivated more by things other than money.
One caution: Don’t just ask people what motivates them. Most people will say “money” because they haven’t thought about it at any depth. The best way to find this out is to ask something like “in the past, what type of recognition did you enjoy the most?” They will start to talk about praise, time off, promotions, etc.
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