Monday, September 7, 2015

Deeper and More Clear


As the name says, this blog is about effectiveness and entrepreneurship. To my way of thinking, the two things are inextricably woven together.

Effectiveness was Peter Drucker's word. People would wonder whether business is an art or a science. Drucker thought it was neither. He said business is a practice.

Drucker would say that business is something you keep doing and you get better over time. In this way, it is both a science and an art.

That is not to say Drucker only advocated only for trial-and-error. Quite the contrary, he was a strong advocate for learning from other people. Specifically, he said we must learn from what people do right, not what they do wrong.

One thing that people have done well is Self-Determination Theory, a theory of motivation. I am sure you would agree that no one can sustain effectiveness without motivation. But, motivation is tricky. It is virtually impossible to motivate another human being.

We might be able to motivate others for a short time. But, sustained motivation is an inside job. For this reason it is probably wise to point people to quality resources that will facilitate their ability to self-motivate and self-development.

Two weeks ago I discussed Self-Determination Theory. This most beautiful theory was was created by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan. If you read the post you can see that Self-Determination Theory contains an inherent paradox. So, last week, I offered a possible resolution.

This week I would like to add on another layer of delicious complexity. Self-Determination Theory is about two types of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic. This is a very hot topic these days.

The question becomes, which is more powerful, intrinsic or extrinsic motivation? The short answer is that intrinsic motivation is more powerful. However, life is never so simple.

In resolving paradoxes we learn to embrace the genius of “and.” Applied to Self-Determination Theory, we learn that intrinsic and extrinsic motivation are not mutually exclusive. In fact, there exists a rather autonomous state of extrinsic motivation that Deci and Ryan called, “Integrated Regulation.”

As a matter of fact, integrated regulation is the state of external goals being melded into the self. That is kind of a weird thing to say, so let me give you an example.

The same goal can be conceived as intrinsically motivating or extrinsically motivating. Let us take the example of painting a picture.

A person could spend their whole life painting pictures so that one day the world would recognize them as a great artist. Such a goal is extrinsically motivating. Striving for wealth, fame, admiration, etc. is the essence of extrinsic motivation.

However, the goal of painting beautiful canvases can also be valued internally. Meaning, a person could decided that s/he wants to become capable of creating beautiful things. This is about the challenge, it is about self-development.

You may have heard the old rock-climbers saying. Something to the effect that they climb rocks, not to conquer the mountain, but to conquer themselves. That is intrinsic motivation.

But, few of us are rock climbers. Most people like an element of external reward for the things we do. This is where we can blend internal and external motivation.

If you are an entrepreneur, I have to imagine you would not mind being rich. However, one thing you know is that building a successful business is hard. The goal of wealth is so distant that it lacks true motivational power.

Day-to-day it is wise that we focus on internal motivation. An example being that we try to get a little better than we were yesterday. Meaning, we practice, just like Drucker said.

Together, we are simultaneously motivated on the inside and the outside. Undoubtedly you are familiar with the question of whether success is a journey or a destination. And, it is a silly question, because success is both a journey and a destination.

Day-to-day we are well advised to embrace the journey, the challenges, the self-improvement. But, there is certainly nothing wrong with taking a little time to daydream about the destination. What is it going to feel like once you have built a successful company?

Embracing the journey is the essence of intrinsic motivation. Thinking of the destination, the riches and freedoms of successful entrepreneurship, is extrinsic motivation. Together they are a powerful way to travel.