The Three M’s that Motivate Employees

December 20, 2013

The Three M’s that Motivate Employees

Smart leaders can turn change from exhausting to exhilarating by asking employees to open their imaginations. This type of strong work motivation stems from the three M’s: mastery, membership, and meaning. (Money is a distant fourth.)

(1) Mastery. 
Help people develop DEEP skills. Even in the most seemingly routine areas, when people are given stretch goals and difficult problems to tackle, they can do things faster, smarter, and better.

(2) Membership. 
Foster community by honoring individuality and encouraging employees to bring outside interests to work. Create frequent opportunities to meet people across the organization to help your team get to know one another more deeply.

(3) Meaning.
 Reinforcing a larger mission and purpose can make even mundane tasks feel significant. Discussing how your products or services can improve the world affects employees’ priorities and decisions.


Adapted from “Three Things that Actually Motivate Employees” by Rosabeth Moss Kanter.