Ce qui tue la motivation sans que personne ne le voit selon la neuroscience (et qui vous coûte cher)

To foster love for work, individuals need challenges that align with or slightly exceed their competence levels. Applying theoretical concepts, such as social status, to real-world business scenarios can be complex. People are highly susceptible to social status; experiencing social inferiority, often through hierarchical humiliation, can lead to depression and a complete lack of motivation. Research shows that reminding individuals of their lower social class can immediately diminish their performance. The modern "culture of talent," where companies recruit and valorize "talents," often backfires. While intended to motivate a select few, it frequently frustrates those not deemed "talented," leading to high turnover and burnout. This phenomenon can be observed in various settings, including schools, where perceived elite programs can impact self-consideration. Similarly, underestimating the creativity of artisans and artists, by labeling their work as less creative than others, can result in reduced investment and energy in their work. The idea of "talent," whether for calculus or creativity, is often a myth, as humans constantly create meaning. For entrepreneurs, the challenge lies in motivating their entire team, including top performers, without demotivating others. The key is to recognize the implication and engagement of all individuals. A more effective approach is to focus on intrinsic motivation rather than external rewards. People have a fundamental need for competence—a need to feel a return on their effort and to understand where they stand. Objective, immediate feedback, similar to what artificial intelligence tools provide in sports, is highly motivating. It’s akin to someone genuinely seeing and acknowledging your progress and potential for growth, rather than just offering praise. The level of difficulty in tasks should correspond to an individual's competence, with a slight increase to encourage growth. This principle applies to education, pedagogy, and even video games, which motivate by gradually increasing difficulty in line with skill development. When individuals are presented with challenges that are appropriate for their skill level, they develop a desire to explore. This exploration, even if it doesn't immediately lead to competence, is a valuable experience that makes individuals feel seen as beings in transformation, not neglected or abandoned. This fundamental human need for attention, interest, and challenge is crucial for evolution, not just in professional life but in all aspects of being. However, assigning tasks significantly beyond an individual's competence can be counterproductive. This concept is central to "flow," a state described by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi as a pleasurable experience where one loses track of time, often found in activities like sports or musical improvisation. Flow occurs when challenges match skills, avoiding both anxiety (if too difficult) and boredom (if too easy). Boredom, like burnout, can lead to similar symptoms and is a significant factor in professional dissatisfaction. Individuals who are "black-placardized"—ignored, unassigned challenging tasks, and unrecognized—lose the opportunity to develop their competencies, which can be profoundly demotivating. Work, in this broader sense, is a fundamental human need for exploration and mastery, evident from childhood play, regardless of remuneration. It's a quest for accomplishment and control, not merely success. In leadership, a common cultural error is a paternalistic posture towards collaborators. Directors sometimes make a fundamental attribution error, assuming their own internal world is rich and complex, while their collaborators have simpler, more rudimentary needs. This perspective can stem from various management schools but often leads to underestimating the complexity of others. As a result, leaders might withhold difficult information from employees, believing they need to be "reassured." However, people are generally capable of receiving challenging information if treated as rational beings capable of reasoning, choosing, and deciding. This was evident during the COVID crisis, where the desire to avoid fear sometimes led to a reluctance to share the full reality. Many leaders act with good intentions, believing they must protect their employees, but this often stems from an unconscious fear of their collaborators' capabilities and reasonableness.