New answers about what motivates your small business employees

payoffHaving employees who are motivated to consistently do their best is a key success factor for any small business. A growing body of research shows that what motivates your workers might not be what you think. For example, money is not what motivates most people.
So how are you to know what does motivate your staff – and, equally important, what motivates you so you can always be at your best?

 
In Payoff: The Hidden Logic That Shapes Our Motivations, a new book by Dan Ariely, the James B. Duke Professor or Psychology and Behavioral Economics at Duke University, you will find the answer to this important question. And, it will do so quickly since Payoff is just over 100 pages long. The short time it will take you to read this book could change the future of your small business as you gain an understanding of how motivation really works.

 
Ariely is as insightful, funny and eloquent in person as he is on paper. I saw him recently at The Regulator, my favorite independent bookstore here in Durham, NC, and he was just terrific. If you’re more of a listener than a reader, you can check out Ariely’s TED talk on this topic, “What Makes Us Feel Good About Our Work.” Also, here is a short piece from DukeToday that is worth a read: “Pizza and Praise Boost Workplace Productivity”

 
Finally, here is an infographic on a closely related topic, employee incentives.

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