HBR Guide to Motivating People (HBR Guide Series)

What You’ll Learn

When people are inspired to do their best every day, they’re more creative, collaborative, productive, and satisfied. They come to work with energy and ideas, and even the most audacious goals seem attainable. But when engagement is low, or enthusiasm and buy-in are lacking, it’s an uphill battle to make progress toward even the simplest objectives. If your team isn’t happy then neither are you—and if things don’t improve soon your job may be at risk.

So how do you get people more engaged? If your company is like most, HR may conduct annual surveys and roll out flex work arrangements, free snacks, or other perks to maintain morale. But motivation isn’t that simple—and it certainly doesn’t look the same for everyone. As a manager, ...