From an early age we have all had the need to know why…

Why do I need to share my toys…why shouldn’t I hit my sibling…why do I need to eat my vegetables…why do I need to go to bed so early…why do I need to make my bed…the list goes on.

As we have grown and matured the need to know why remains, although the questions have gotten more complex.

Why am I short/tall, thin/fat, male/female…why do some people succeed while others fail…why do we exist…

Even though some questions cannot be answered in our lifetime we still have an innate need to know why…what is our purpose?

Science tells us that knowing and connecting with “why,” or our purpose, is directly tied to motivation. There is a part of our brain, the limbic part, that is our “why” center. It is also the part of the brain that influences 75% of decisions and behaviors. Another way of looking at this is that things that align with our sense of purpose highly affect our motivations.

Dan Pink, author of Drive, has done extensive research into what ultimately motivates humans and has found that there are two categories of motivators: Extrinsic (external— outside forces or those that are imposed on us by others) and intrinsic(internal—those that come from within us).

The following YouTube explains Dan Pink’s research in simple terms:

In a nutshell, extrinsic motivators work well when we are doing less cognitive work, like manual labor or repetitive work, but intrinsic motivators work better when we are doing more cognitive work, like solving problems, innovating, designing, collaborating, leading, etc. 

Dan Pink suggests that the three types of intrinsic motivators are:

• Autonomy—the ability to self-direct our activities
• Mastery—becoming better at our work and hobbies
• Purpose—doing things that align with our values and what we believe is important.

Unfortunately, too many people are in jobs that do not align with their sense of purpose. Sure these jobs pay the bills, but the people are not inspired in the morning on our way to work, nor feeling fulfilled at the end of the day on their way home.

Great leaders understand that as a result the average American worker is only 40-70% engaged in their work and that 30-60% more engagement can be achieved by hiring workers whose sense of purpose aligns with that of the organization. Then once on board, they understand the importance of helping workers become their natural best while trusting them to further the organizational purpose (vision) without micro-management.

Herb Mast is a Leadership Coach and Employee Engagement Specialist. Learn how he can assist you in implementing the principles and concepts presented here.