The Progress Principle
Teresa Amabile analyzed 12,000 diary entries and found small wins beat everything else for motivation. Not bonuses, not praise, not strategy. Progress on meaningful work wins.
Teresa Amabile analyzed 12,000 daily diary entries from 238 employees across seven companies. The question: what makes a great day at work?
The answer wasn't recognition, incentives, or inspiring leadership. It was progress on meaningful work.
Even small wins (finishing a task, clearing a blocker, learning something new) outperformed every other motivator. Amabile calls this the Progress Principle: of all things that can boost emotions, motivation, and perceptions during a workday, the single most important is making progress in meaningful work.
The mechanism is simple. Progress signals competence. It confirms that effort leads to outcomes. And unlike bonuses or praise, it's renewable daily.
Your nudge: At the end of each day, ask yourself (or your team) one question. "What did you make progress on today?" The answer reinforces the feeling that work matters. That's enough.
