Quiz – Make extrinsic motivation work

Learning & Understanding questions help you test your grasp of key APM concepts. They often require careful thinking, not just recalling facts. Some questions describe real situations so you can apply what you have learned.

A leader offers a small surprise reward for a task everyone finds boring. The team responds with unexpected enthusiasm and even improves the process. What likely made the reward effective?

Learning & Understanding questions help you test your grasp of key APM concepts. They often require careful thinking, not just recalling facts. Some questions describe real situations so you can apply what you have learned.

Which of the following best describes when extrinsic motivation is most useful?

Learning & Understanding questions help you test your grasp of key APM concepts. They often require careful thinking, not just recalling facts. Some questions describe real situations so you can apply what you have learned.

Which of the following reward approaches is most autonomy-supportive?

Learning & Understanding questions help you test your grasp of key APM concepts. They often require careful thinking, not just recalling facts. Some questions describe real situations so you can apply what you have learned.

A manager tells their team: “We know this reporting task is repetitive. But it’s essential to help others make informed decisions. Let’s make it lighter and see what helps.” What principle of motivational design is being applied?

Reflection questions invite you to connect the topic to your own work experience. There are no wrong answers. It is a moment to pause, think critically, and gain personal insight.

Think of a situation where a reward (monetary or non-monetary) clearly motivated a team or individual. What made it work—or not?

Reflection questions invite you to connect the topic to your own work experience. There are no wrong answers. It is a moment to pause, think critically, and gain personal insight.

Are there practices in your organization that rely on rewards for things that might actually be better supported by purpose, recognition, or autonomy?

Assess & Act questions ask you to evaluate a situation and think about what you would do. There is no single right answer. The goal is to recognize patterns and consider practical action.

Which of the following changes would make a reward system more supportive of intrinsic motivation?

☑ Making rewards non-conditional or symbolic where possible
☑ Giving employees voice in how success is defined
☑ Linking recognition to team impact, not just individual output
☑ Explaining the importance of tasks before offering incentives

→ Which of these could you try in your own team, and what might it change?

Assess & Act questions ask you to evaluate a situation and think about what you would do. There is no single right answer. The goal is to recognize patterns and consider practical action.

Choose a recurring task or ritual in your team. How might you reframe it or redesign it to better support autonomy, relatedness, or competence?

Challenge & Debate open-ended questions are meant to stretch your thinking. You are invited to take a stance, weigh the pros and cons, and consider different viewpoints. Again, there are no wrong answers, only thoughtful ones.

“People should be recognized for going the extra mile—but should we pay them for it?” What’s your take, and where do you draw the line between appreciation and transaction?