Alive at work

What gives us the impulse to explore, learn and experiment? Things that we humans associate with life?

Dan Cable, a professor at London Business School, described the search system in our brains in his book Alive-at-work.

When we are engaged in a quest, such as putting together a puzzle, we are usually motivated and receive constant little bursts of dopamine. This gives us a feeling of happiness or success.

Every employee can have something like this. Supervisors can support this. All it takes is a little challenge, a question, or some curiosity.

For example, asking teams to come up with new innovation ideas can be a real motivator. As long as the activities are focused on a goal, you can expect small miracles.

Questions

•  Do you create the space to explore and learn? Are employees rewarded for being curious and creative?
•  How can we create a sense of purpose and mission in our organization without it seeming forced and disingenuous?