The Progress Principle: A Conversation With Teresa Amabile

Good bosses understand the importance of making sure that every member of a team feels personally motivated throughout the workday. But what’s the key to igniting employees’ creativity and productivity?

Dr. Teresa Amabile of the Harvard Business School has found that of all the factors that induce creativity, productivity, collegiality, and commitment among employees, the single most important one is a sense of making progress on meaningful work. But creating an environment that fosters progress takes some careful effort.

ExecuNet Chief Marketing Officer Tony Vlahos spoke recently with Dr. Amabile about life inside organizations and how it influences employees, their creativity, productivity and performance. Much of Dr. Amabile’s work is included in her book The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work, co-written with Steven Kramer.

• 0:50 The work treadmill: moving fast, achieving little
• 4:05 Does pressure actually boost creativity?
• 6:01 “The Lone Genius” and other myths
• 12:10 The “intrinsic motivation” principle of creativity
• 13:50 The catalysts and nourishers that induce work progress
• 26:33 The power of “small wins” at work
• 28:08 How to motivate yourself and make real progress

ExecuNet Editor