Increase motivation in organisations – by knowing thy needs

Many organisations behave as if they did not know that they have humans.

But they are the key: without humans, no organisation.

When we stop designing against human nature, we start to lead effectively. That’s the core idea behind a needs-oriented “operating system” for organisations.

In a working world shaped by complexity, constant change, and growing uncertainty, a human-centred approach to motivation is essential. Ultimately, organisations can only navigate these dynamics successfully when they tap into their full potential—and that means unlocking the full potential of their people.

One pathway to this is offered by Self-Determination Theory (SDT), developed by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan at the University of Rochester since the 1970s.

The theory’s core message: when our three basic psychological needs—autonomy, competence, and relatedness—are met, we are naturally and intrinsically motivated. That makes us more creative, more solution-oriented, more effective. And what more could you want?!

This theory has been replicated in over 100 countries and extensively validated in schools, businesses, hospitals, and NGOs. In short: these three psychological needs are considered universal. That’s rare in psychology, and pretty remarkable. All the more reason to factor them into how we design our organisations.

Autonomy

What is it about?

Autonomy is the need to act and make decisions in a self-directed way, aligned with one’s own values and goals. It doesn’t necessarily mean total independence or a free-for-all without rules. What matters is experiencing a sense of inner willingness. Even when following external rules or expectations.

An example:

An employee is free to arrange their working hours flexibly, as long as they meet set goals and are available during certain core hours. They are perfectly fine with working within these boundaries. They chooses when and where she can focus best. The framework is there; but within it, they experiences autonomy and self-determination.

How can it be implemented?

The Loop Approach® framework offers some great tools here. It’s about creating spaces for decision-making, enabling ownership, and distributing responsibility. A key prerequisite for this is to have clarity as a team. Not just clarity around tasks and roles, but also around the bigger shared purpose of the team and the organisation. The question is: what are we actually doing this for? A clear and collectively supported purpose provides direction without needing to control. It shows how individual roles contribute to the greater whole. This also counters the concern that “if everyone does what they want, nothing will work”.

The next step: tension-based working. The central idea is that people learn to notice what they need. And that the team and organisation create a space where these needs can be voiced and integrated. Whether individually, relationally, structurally, or operationally. When people can bring their tensions into the system—and are not structurally blocked from addressing them—they experience agency. Decisions happen where energy is. Responsibility emerges where resonance arises.

Relatedness

What is it about?

Relatedness is the need to feel connected and a sense of belonging through relationships with others, and to experience social support. It’s not just about what others mean to us, but also what we mean to them.

An example:

A younger team member asks a challenging question that calls the status quo into question. The team responds openly and constructively, exploring possible adjustments. Later, the team member and the team lead have an open dialogue about how the situation was handled.

How can it be implemented?

This need is met when people feel seen, heard, and safe. A key concept here is psychological safety.

Brené Brown’s BRAVING model offers a great framework for making trust a tangible topic in teams:

Boundaries: Respecting and upholding limits. What’s OK, what’s not—and why?

Reliability: Following through on commitments, and not behaving impulsively or unpredictably. This implies knowing your own skills, capacity, and priorities.

Accountability: Owning both achievements and mistakes. Taking responsibility for repair and resolution.

Vault: Treating shared experiences, stories, and information with confidentiality.

Integrity: Acting in line with your values. Choosing courage and what’s right over comfort, ease, or convenience.

Nonjudgement: Approaching others with curiosity. And especially, feeling free to ask one another for help, and allowing emotions to be.

Generosity: Assuming the best intentions in others.

Trust, in this sense, isn’t just a feeling—it’s a practice. It’s worth exploring each aspect with the team and grounding it in your day-to-day context. For instance: What should be treated confidentially, when, and how? What does generosity look like in action?

Another lever is structured dialogue around tensions, ideas, and conflicts. It's not just about passive belonging, but about mutual engagement and contribution. When teams reflect together on what doen't work (anymore) and what wants to emerge, they build relatedness. Not through sameness, but through shared ownership of difference. This requires a mix of skill and structure. So ask yourselves: When and how do we bring up tensions? What’s the right time and space for that? And how is the broader team involved?

In this way, relatedness doesn’t become a duty—it becomes a lived practice.

Competence

What is it about?

Competence is the need to feel capable and effective. It’s about being able to influence meaningful matters and tackle tasks successfully. It also includes being able to foster our innate joy of learning and growing.

An example:

A team member takes on the coordination of a new project. Not because they’ve been around the longest, but because they’re aware of their organisational strengths and eager to apply them. Over the course of the project, they try out new collaboration tools, regularly reflect on their approach, and actively seek feedback. Learning isn’t an accidental by-product. It becomes an integral part of their role.

How can it be implemented?

It’s about both developing new skills and being able to use existing strengths effectively. The Positive Psychology approach can help here: focusing on strengths and assigning roles accordingly. (Another practice from the Loop Approach®.) Instead of assigning tasks based on function or history, you put individual strenghts and potential out in the open, and assign roles accordingly. This isn’t just appreciative; it often unlocks surprising energy in everyday work.

In the spirit of lifelong learning (remember: our brains are neuroplastic), we also need structures that support learning. Processes for feedback and reflection loops, continuing education, peer-to-peer coaching, mentoring, case consultation… the possibilities are endless. Frameworks like Growth Mindset (Carol Dweck) and Emotional Agility (Susan David) offer a solid foundation for this kind of learning culture. Competence doesn’t mean knowing everything. It means continuing to grow.

Growth Mindset (Carol Dweck)

Extensively researched across contexts: skills aren’t fixed, they’re developable. All the way through to the end of life. A growth mindset means acknowledging this—and living it as an attitude. Mistakes are seen as learning opportunities, development as an ongoing process, feedback as a valuable resource. And the good news? A growth mindset isn’t innate either. It can be developed.

Emotional Agility (Susan David)

Emotional agility is the ability to navigate thoughts and feelings with awareness and flexibility. Too often, emotions are ignored or suppressed. But research shows that this doesn’t make them disappear. Instead, it can lead to explosive outbursts, chronic irritability, or anxiety and depression. On the flip side, getting caught up in emotions isn’t helpful either, as it keeps us stuck. Agility lies in recognising and naming emotions, seeing them as valuable information, and consciously choosing how to respond.

Without people no organisations.

People not without needs.

And these three in particular—autonomy, competence, and relatedness—are crucial to understand and to anchor within an organisation’s operating system. That’s how we can increase motivation in organisations.

To me, needs-oriented leadership and motivation aren’t just PowerPoint poetry, but they’re something we can shape in everyday practice.

Not pushing, but enabling.

Not forcing motivation, but preventing demotivation.

Not prescribing energy, but creating spaces where it can arise.