The Power of Intrinsic Motivation
Mastery as a Source of Motivation
Purpose | Autonomy | Mastery
"Our work is our most important resource to develop our people."
-- Jim Trinka and Les Wallace (From
A Legacy of 21st Century Leadership)
Mastery is the pursuit of excellence through learning and growth. Leaders can do a great deal to foster an environment the supports employee development. The benefits are tremendous, as you end up with employees who are highly skilled and love coming to work because they take great pride in their work.
This page has resources for managers who want to create a developmental climate for their teams.
For additional resources related to mastery, please see the following pages:
Articles
- It’s Up to Us to Implement the Learning Policy,
Eight practices leaders can use to develop their people in the process of getting the work done.
- Making the Most of
Developmental Assignments,
Interview with Cynthia McCauley, author of Developmental Assignments: Creating Learning Experiences without Changing Jobs
- Getting the Most from your Training Budget: A Toolkit for Innovative Managers [PDF]
Terrific article from The Federal Manager magazine. - 22 Ways to Develop Leadership in Staff Managers, by Robert W. Eichinger and Michael M. Lombardo
Actionable tips on how non-supervisors can gain leadership experience.
- Using Individual Development Plans to Leverage Your Strengths
How to create an IDP.
- Establishing a Leadership Library for Your Organization
Make it easy for your team members to become students of leadership.
- Training for New Arrivals
Recommended practices for helping new employees get up to speed quickly.
Books
Employee Development on a Shoestring
This outstanding handbook covers a wide range of low-cost or no-cost mechanisms for employee development, such as individual development plans, self-directed learning (e.g. reading, videos, etc.), mentoring, rotational and stretch assignments, learning by teaching, and service on working groups. Each chapter includes self-assessments to determine one's readiness for a given kind of developmental activity and suggestions on how to overcome common pitfalls. Also includes numerous case studies and examples from government. The strategies described in this book should be part of every manager's toolkit for developing their team members. The author;'s podcast, The TalentGrow Show, is also superb.Read more...
Developmental Assignments: Creating Learning Experiences without
Changing Jobs
A Game Plan for Life: The Power of Mentoring
All Learning is Self-Directed: How Organizations Can Support and Encourage Independent Learning
This book is an absolute gold mine of information for managers who want to develop the skills and knowledge of their people. It describes all the different kinds of self-directed learning and provides a comprehensive strategy for implementing them. One of the best sections includes a description of what managers can do to foster a positive learning environment for their employees.Read more...
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
In her classic book Mindset, Carol Dweck focuses on the difference between people who believe a person's intelligence and ability are "fixed" and unchangeable and those with a "growth" mindset, who believe that people can continuously learn and develop their skills and cognitive abilities. Dr. Dweck notes that leaders with a fixed mindset tend to need affirmation from others and often try to show they are the smartest person in the room. In contrast, leaders with a growth mindset tend to bring curiosity and a belief in continuous improvement. As a result, leaders with a growth mindset are more likely to focus on developing others, since they see the benefits to the organization of cultivating the potential of their teams. Includes a chapter on how to make the shift from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. Read More...
Video
Principles for Success by Ray Dalio
Inspiring 30-minute video that outlines Dalio's approach to learning from setbacks and using them as an opportunity to get better.