It’s often considered common and obvious knowledge that if you want someone to do a better job of their work, a good way to encourage them is to give them a nice monetary reward. However, unless it’s a truely meanial task with no cognative load this can have the exact opposite effect. What really motivates us is finding a purpose and mastery in a job. So maybe see how you can be more purposeful, or if there is a task in your current role that you can truely demonstrate mastery in, as it should make you feel much more motivated.
Even if you’ve listened to Dan Pink before, I recommend this illustrated version of his talk, as it adds a very entertaining dimension.
The surprising truth about what motivates us: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc
