“RANDOM” REWARDS MAKE POWERFUL MOTIVATORS; THEY SEEM SCARCE AND UNPREDICTABLE (AND THEY’RE LESS LIKELY TO CONFLICT WITH INTRINSIC MOTIVATION.)

How might this apply to great teams and cultures?

When many people are gathered in a highly social context for a short period of time (such as a fundraiser or a swat team project), motivate people to contribute by rewarding randomly selected individuals within the larger group.

How might this apply to your business?

Rewards can be praise, virtual goods, redeemable points and so on—but without a predictable pattern.

Consider

Whether to encourage positive behaviors or to reward someone for simply registering for your product or service, what can you give out at random intervals?

See Also

Shaping, Sequencing, Delighters, Gifting, Periodic Events

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In the whirl of our day-to-day interactions, it’s all too easy to forget the nuances that distinguish great teams, great cultures, and great products/services.

Mental Model Flash Cards bring together insights from psychology into an easy reference and brainstorming tool. Each card describes one insight into human behavior and suggests ways to apply this to your teams as well as the design of your products and services.