Six Sources of Influence — Source 5 Structural Motivation

Structural Motivation is the fifth element in the Six Sources of Influence — a framework established by the book “Influencer: The New Science of Leading Change.”

Source 5. Structural Motivation: change their economy.

Structural motivation transcends human factors and delves into the potency of external elements, such as rewards, perks, bonuses, salaries, and the occasional warning and punishment. When employing structural motivation and implementing incentives, the primary objective should focus on the elimination of disincentives — to “change the economy” as it were, i.e., to prevent incentives from undermining the impact of your influence message. Nonetheless, it is crucial to point out that the real driving force of change comes from personal motivation (source 1) and social motivation (source 3).

Use extrinsic rewards third: In a well-balanced change effort, influencers first ensure that vital behaviors connect to intrinsic satisfaction, next they line up social support, and rewards only come third, i.e., only after they have double checked the other two sources of motivation do they apply…