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They needed the numbers, so they directed their creativity and resourcefulness toward getting those numbers, rather than toward effective performance.
Why We Do What We Do
When you reward your children for finishing their schoolwork, they are more likely to complete it. Is this, however, the most successful motivational strategy? No, claims psychologist Edward L. Deci, who defies conventional wisdom and demonstrates that this strategy actually hinders performance. Supporting people's feeling of autonomy is the greatest approach to encourage them at school, job, or at home. Explaining why a work is essential and then giving as much personal flexibility as possible in doing it will increase interest and commitment, and is a far more successful method than the traditional reward and punishment system. Deci says that we are all naturally curious about the world, so why not foster that curiosity in one another? Rather than asking, "How can I encourage people?" we should question, "How can I create the environment for people to motivate themselves?"
They needed the numbers, so they directed their creativity and resourcefulness toward getting those numbers, rather than toward effective performance.
