Motivating children is a task for every parent.
Motivating your team is part of every leader's job profile.
Specifically if it is the task is boring ,tedious and there is no fun component associated with it.
Vinod Kosla said "Work is so boring that they even pay you lots of money to do it daily" . Now you know why your job may not be giving you happiness or fun except money!
Think about it. When was the last time a child came home running and screamed "I would love to finish that homework because it reinforces my class work and I want to practise the skill more so that I become better?"
If you have a child that does that or know a course or a subject in which you haver child has such interest or then please encourage your child,don't leave that school and pray that the teacher continues to teach your child. My sister is in this teaching profession for 25+ years and my grand father was in this teachnig profession for .. not sure may be 20+ years. My grand father always used to say 'Teaching is the noblest of all professions and sorrowest or all trades" (most teachers even today as a whole don't get paid as much as they deserve to get paid".
Daniel Pink in "The surprising truth about what motivates us" talks about these in his book
Extrinsic motivation : I met another "Siva" about 12 years ago in my previous company and he had a daughter of 6 -8 years old and Siva had successfully implemented a system. Do chores, Do home work, Do stuff we want you to do, I give you stickers.It worked with that Kid at that time in NJ like a charm. I couldn't wait to implement the same when I have a child. She would do all these stuff get stickers go to McDonalds for 10 stickers, 50 for toys...Wow what a system! Stickers, badges,medals,prizes,trophies and money - all extrinsic motivations works well for algorithmic work. Same boring stuff(homework is always a boring stuff).Making Pizza in a restaurant and other menial jobs that are considered algorithmic always needs only money or some extrinsic motivation. What extrinsic motivation do you try with your child?
If you do this, I will let you have a play date? More TV time? More ipad/other electronics time?
The magic is it works. The magic is it stops working for Heuristic work.
Lets learn what is Intrinsic motivation.
Intrinsic motivation
SDT - Self - Determination Theory by Drs. Edwards L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan talk about this
MAPPS
Mastery - I Improve
Autonomy - I control
Purpose - I make a difference
Progress - I achieve
Social - I Connect with others
Asymptotic - Skills and Tasks are classified as Asymptotic if you know that you can never reach perfection. Think musical instrument ( now you know why I am always improving in my guitar for more than 4 years), Golf or any other art work - painting,sculpting,programming ( that is why programs have bugs!)
Mastery : The mind set you have is important. Do you believe that you can become a master and still will need to improve? I will write a separate post about Mindset- Carol Dwerk and the theory on mindsets. For now realize that there is growth mindset and fixed mindset. Fixed is when you think you are intelligent and you have accomplished everything. Growth mindset is when you think you can read,learn and improve. When someone asks you to be politically correct you must always say Growth Mindset and in reality praise folks (and your kids) for being most intelligent when they are born/have already acquired!
Autonomy: When and how things are done is more important . Companies are trying ROWE (Results oriented Work Environment ) you should try this too. Let your kid or your team or yourself decide how and when things will be done. Feeling "in Control" is critical in getting things done!
Purpose : Paraphrasing Steve Jobs "If you don't make a dent in this world then why are you here?" . We want to feel we are doing something useful ,productive and are making in difference in this world. Let the kid know the purpose of the the task and why it matters to the world(atleast to your world!)
Progress: A kid must be praised for progress and not for achievement. A team must be coached based on celebration not on milestones (as in project management) or deliverables (as in programs) but each tiny movement in the right direction.
Social: For you to master any skill you need to post all your achievements in social media. We need to be liked,followed,shared,connected to be socially validated that our work matters. Even if it small you may want the world to know about it and that is not a bad thing!.
and finally thank god that you are not my kid. (Arnav or Arush).
Cos I will be experimenting on all these concepts soon on them (the rats are in labs my kids are in my house and I need to get cheezits from Costco!)
Keep Learning
Sivakumar Manikanteswaran
Motivating your team is part of every leader's job profile.
Specifically if it is the task is boring ,tedious and there is no fun component associated with it.
Vinod Kosla said "Work is so boring that they even pay you lots of money to do it daily" . Now you know why your job may not be giving you happiness or fun except money!
Think about it. When was the last time a child came home running and screamed "I would love to finish that homework because it reinforces my class work and I want to practise the skill more so that I become better?"
If you have a child that does that or know a course or a subject in which you haver child has such interest or then please encourage your child,don't leave that school and pray that the teacher continues to teach your child. My sister is in this teaching profession for 25+ years and my grand father was in this teachnig profession for .. not sure may be 20+ years. My grand father always used to say 'Teaching is the noblest of all professions and sorrowest or all trades" (most teachers even today as a whole don't get paid as much as they deserve to get paid".
Daniel Pink in "The surprising truth about what motivates us" talks about these in his book
Extrinsic motivation : I met another "Siva" about 12 years ago in my previous company and he had a daughter of 6 -8 years old and Siva had successfully implemented a system. Do chores, Do home work, Do stuff we want you to do, I give you stickers.It worked with that Kid at that time in NJ like a charm. I couldn't wait to implement the same when I have a child. She would do all these stuff get stickers go to McDonalds for 10 stickers, 50 for toys...Wow what a system! Stickers, badges,medals,prizes,trophies and money - all extrinsic motivations works well for algorithmic work. Same boring stuff(homework is always a boring stuff).Making Pizza in a restaurant and other menial jobs that are considered algorithmic always needs only money or some extrinsic motivation. What extrinsic motivation do you try with your child?
If you do this, I will let you have a play date? More TV time? More ipad/other electronics time?
The magic is it works. The magic is it stops working for Heuristic work.
Lets learn what is Intrinsic motivation.
Intrinsic motivation
SDT - Self - Determination Theory by Drs. Edwards L. Deci and Richard M. Ryan talk about this
MAPPS
Mastery - I Improve
Autonomy - I control
Purpose - I make a difference
Progress - I achieve
Social - I Connect with others
Asymptotic - Skills and Tasks are classified as Asymptotic if you know that you can never reach perfection. Think musical instrument ( now you know why I am always improving in my guitar for more than 4 years), Golf or any other art work - painting,sculpting,programming ( that is why programs have bugs!)
Mastery : The mind set you have is important. Do you believe that you can become a master and still will need to improve? I will write a separate post about Mindset- Carol Dwerk and the theory on mindsets. For now realize that there is growth mindset and fixed mindset. Fixed is when you think you are intelligent and you have accomplished everything. Growth mindset is when you think you can read,learn and improve. When someone asks you to be politically correct you must always say Growth Mindset and in reality praise folks (and your kids) for being most intelligent when they are born/have already acquired!
Autonomy: When and how things are done is more important . Companies are trying ROWE (Results oriented Work Environment ) you should try this too. Let your kid or your team or yourself decide how and when things will be done. Feeling "in Control" is critical in getting things done!
Purpose : Paraphrasing Steve Jobs "If you don't make a dent in this world then why are you here?" . We want to feel we are doing something useful ,productive and are making in difference in this world. Let the kid know the purpose of the the task and why it matters to the world(atleast to your world!)
Progress: A kid must be praised for progress and not for achievement. A team must be coached based on celebration not on milestones (as in project management) or deliverables (as in programs) but each tiny movement in the right direction.
Social: For you to master any skill you need to post all your achievements in social media. We need to be liked,followed,shared,connected to be socially validated that our work matters. Even if it small you may want the world to know about it and that is not a bad thing!.
and finally thank god that you are not my kid. (Arnav or Arush).
Cos I will be experimenting on all these concepts soon on them (the rats are in labs my kids are in my house and I need to get cheezits from Costco!)
Keep Learning
Sivakumar Manikanteswaran
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