Can You Improve Motivation? with Richard Ryan

Richard Ryan is a professor at the Institute for Positive Psychology in Education at the Australian Catholic University. He is also a research professor of Psychology at the University of Rochester in New York. Rich is a clinical psychologist and co-developer of self-determination theory, one of the leading theories of human motivation. With over 300 papers and books in the areas of human motivation and personality and psychological well-being, he is among the most cited and influential researchers in psychology and social sciences.

In this conversation, Rich discusses how we can motivate ourselves and others at work and what we can do practically to cultivate autonomy, competence and relatedness.  He also explains the motivational pull of games and shares how elements within games can be used to improve wellbeing.

Connect with Rich Ryan:
Rich's Website

You’ll Learn:

• [01:53] - Many organizations still struggle with motivating individuals to do their best work. Rich shares his findings in what actually works.
• [02:41] - Rich explains why many organizations struggle with implementing strategies based on his findings.
• [03:54] - Rich shares some of the factors his research finds are important for leaders to be able to enable in team members.
• [05:10] - Rich explains why there are fundamental needs for flourishing.
• [06:39] - Rich describes how neuropsychology is adding to his understanding of what motivates us.
• [08:03] - Rich shares some outcomes leaders can expect if they make these changes.
• [09:47] - Rich talks about how to teach leaders to be more autonomy supportive of their employees.
• [10:53] - Rich shares that he has been inspired by the rise of the executive coaching culture.
• [12:00] - Rich talks about the balance of incentives without undermining motivation.
• [14:01] - Rich wrote a book on the motivational pull of games and he discusses the elements of games that can be utilized in workplaces. He also explains why gamification can be bad for organizations.
• [18:04] - Rich talks about new health programs that use incentives to encourage behavior changes.
• [20:19] - Rich talks about the importance of change in the process.
• [21:26] - The Lightning Round with Rich Ryan

Your Resources:

Self-Determination Theory: Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development, and Wellness - Richard Ryan and Edward Deci
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us - Daniel Pink
Glued to Games: How Video Games Draw Us In and Hold Us Spellbound - Scott Rigby and Richard Ryan
7 Minute Workout
Primed to Perform: How to Build the Highest Performing Cultures Through the Science of Total Motivation - Neel Doshi and Lindsay McGregor

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for joining me again this week.  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post. 

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Special thanks to Rich for joining me this week. Until next time, take care!