Why you work impacts how well you work

Motive Spectrum

The motive spectrum is a framework that organizes the various reasons why people work. These reasons are their “motives.”

There are six motives in the spectrum. The first three (play, purpose, and potential) are the “direct” motives as they are directly connected to the work itself. The last three (emotional pressure, economic pressure, and inertia) are the “indirect” motives as they are no longer connected to the work itself.

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Motive Spectrum in the wild

The direct motives consistently lead to better adaptive performance, while the indirect motives consistently lead to worse performance. Moreover, the closer the motive is to the work itself, the more it drives performance.

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Adaptive Performance

It's how well you deviate from the plan. The goal of culture.

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Tactical Performance

It's how well you stick to the plan. The goal of strategy.

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