You’ve hired smart, talented people. They’re qualified, experienced, and capable. So why are they showing up late, turning off their cameras in meetings, and delivering “just enough” to get by?
It’s easy to assume that lack of motivation comes from laziness or personal issues—but psychology tells us otherwise. The problem isn’t the people—it’s the work environment.
THE ABCs OF EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION
According to Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan), motivation isn’t driven by bonuses or perks—it’s driven by the satisfaction of three core psychological needs:
Autonomy – Feeling like you have control over your work and how you do it.
Belonging – Feeling connected to others and valued within the organization.
Competence – Feeling capable and confident in your role.
When even one of these needs isn’t being met, motivation tanks.
➡️ Autonomy: If your top performers feel micromanaged or like they have no say in decision-making, they’ll emotionally check out.
➡️ Belonging: If they feel isolated or disconnected from the company’s mission, their engagement will plummet.
➡️ Competence: If they aren’t getting meaningful feedback or opportunities to grow, they’ll stop trying.
Here’s the tricky part: Most companies don’t know which of these psychological drivers is broken.
WHY TOP PERFORMERS ARE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE
You’d think that top performers are naturally more motivated—but they’re often the ones most vulnerable to disengagement. Why? Because high performers tend to be more invested in their work emotionally and professionally. When a high performer feels:
❌ Like their work isn’t valued—they lose motivation.
❌ Like they don’t have the tools to succeed—they stop trying.
❌ Like their contributions aren’t making a difference—they look for meaning elsewhere.
A Harvard Business Review study found that top performers are 59% more likely to leave a job due to lack of growth opportunities compared to average performers.
The issue isn’t that they lack motivation—it’s that the psychological drivers of motivation aren’t being met.
WHY BONUSES AND PERKS DON’T WORK
Most companies try to fix motivation with surface-level solutions:
Bonuses
Free snacks
Casual Fridays
Team-building events
These might provide a short-term morale boost—but they don’t create sustainable motivation.
Research shows that external rewards (like money) provide extrinsic motivation—but extrinsic motivation is temporary. Once the bonus is spent or the event is over, motivation fades.
Intrinsic motivation—the desire to perform well because the work itself is meaningful and fulfilling—is what drives long-term performance.
According to Self-Determination Theory:
Bonuses will work if competence and autonomy are already present.
Team-building events will work if people already feel connected to the team.
Career development programs will work if employees feel psychologically safe enough to try new things and fail.
The key is not to increase rewards—it’s to increase psychological alignment.
WHAT MOTIVATION LOOKS LIKE WHEN IT’S WORKING
When the three psychological drivers (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) are balanced, motivation and performance increase naturally.
Here’s what that looks like:
✔️ High Autonomy – Employees have flexibility in how they structure their work and make decisions.
✔️ Strong Competence – Employees receive regular, meaningful feedback and know exactly how to succeed.
✔️ Deep Relatedness – Employees feel valued by their peers and connected to the company’s mission.
The result?
✅ Higher creativity and innovation
✅ Better problem-solving
✅ More initiative and accountability
✅ Greater resilience to setbacks
It’s not about working harder—it’s about creating an environment where people want to work harder.
