drive-motivation
Drive Motivation Framework
Design motivation systems for products, teams, and organizations using the science of intrinsic motivation.
Core Principle
The secret to high performance isn't rewards and punishment — it's the deeply human need to direct our own lives, learn and create new things, and do better for ourselves and our world. For any task requiring even rudimentary cognitive effort, external rewards either don't work or actively worsen performance. Intrinsic motivation — Autonomy, Mastery, Purpose (AMP) — drives lasting engagement.
Scoring
Goal: 10/10. Score any motivation system (product features, team incentives, gamification, engagement loops) against the Quick Diagnostic: start at 5, add 1 for each of the first five rows answered "yes," then subtract 2 if the sixth row is also "yes" — an "if-then" reward doing the motivating crowds out the rest. Bands:
- 9-10 — autonomy, mastery, and purpose all present; no if-then crowding-out.
- 5-6 — one pillar carries the system; the other two are weak or extrinsic.
- ≤3 — relies on rewards, mandates, or controlling behaviors; intrinsic motivation absent.
Always state the current score, which diagnostic rows failed, and the specific fixes to reach 10/10.