[Neurons] 2015 "Neurons" Meta Reflections #14

Mon Mar 23 09:14:33 EDT 2015

From: L. Michael Hall

Meta Reflections 2015 #14

March 23, 2015

Self-Determination Theory #2

META-COACHING

AND SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY

In the last post I described Self-Determination Theory as a derivative from
Maslow and Rogers and others in the first Human Potential Movement.  It is a
current theory with lots and lots and lots of research behind it.  It also,
in my opinion, over-simplifies much of Maslow's work which means that what
you and I have in Meta-Coaching is actually much richer.  The reason for
presenting this is to keep you informed about what's out there, what's being
developed from the first HPM, and what is also being researched.

A recent book on this theory is Susan Fowler's 2014 book, Why Motivation
People Does Not Work and What Does.  She has sought to make popular what
Deci and Ryan created and so it is even more simplistic as even the title of
the book over-states things(!).  Yet she has a number of very valuable
pieces in her book.  Here is how she begins - with something that is
inherent in Maslow's hierarchy of needs:

"People are always motivated.  The question is not if, but why they are
motivated.  The motivation a person brings to any action can be
qualitatively different.  A naive assumption that motivation is something a
person has or doesn't have.  If it is a possession, then it has an amount.
The assumption is that the more motivation a person has, the more likely he
is to achieve his goals." (p. 4)

Because "motivation" (a nominalization) is not a thing, it is not a
possession, but an experience.  That's why we have to inquire about the type
of motivation and its quality to understand it.  Fowler, following Deci,
says that peole are already inclined to learn, to grow, and to excel and it
is ...

"... bribing people [that] kills intrinsic motivation. ...  Rewards and
punishments can work at the moment, but they only buy one thing: temporary
compliance.   Carrot-and-stick tactics have hurt learning, comprehension,
and commitment." (pp. 4-5)

To explain where so many of our ideas about motivation come from, she writes
the following, which strikes me as humorous:

"A funny thing happened on the way to understanding human motivation.
Psychologists studied animals!  External rewards produce a disturbing
undermining effect on the energy, vitality, and sense of positive well-being
people need to achieve goals, attain excellence, and sustain effort." (p. 7)

[Yet] "It's unwise to confuse productivity with thriving and flourishing.
People are not pigeons."

So in Self-Determination Theory, as in NLP, motivation is a skill-a
strategy.  It is something we do and something that we learn to do- to
motivate ourselves.  It is not something outside that lands on us and makes
us "motivated."  This theory, coming as it does from the Self-Actualization
Psychology of Maslow recognizes that ... 

"... human being have an innate tendency and desire to thrive.  We want to
grow, develop and be fully functioning." (p. 31).  "Just because we
gravitate toward psychological health and integration doesn't guarantee it
will happen.  Human thriving in the workplace is a dynamic potential that
requires nurturing." (p. 32)

What Fowler does say about "an optimal motivational outlook" comes straight
from the same source that I use- Maslow.  She writes, 

"When a person experiences high quality psychological needs, she will have
an optimal motivational outlook.  It is a mistake to think that people are
not motivated.  They are simply longing for needs they cannot name." (p. 49)

What are these high quality psychological needs except the Being-needs at
the top of the hierarchy- the self-actualization needs.  When a person
gratifies these needs, that person then has an optimal motivation.  Of
course.  That's what we mean when we speak about people having an innate
self-actualization drive.

But, and this is a big but ... she shows her lack of understanding of the
Hierarchy of Needs.  How do I know?  Because of what she wrote about this:

"Your psychological needs are not drives. ...  Drives dissipate when they
are satiated. ...  Being driven is another way of saying, I am not in
control.  " (p. 52)

Our psychological needs are not choices!?  Really?  And her reasoning is
that a drive dissipates when it is satisfied.  Of course, she doesn't
explain where she got that idea or why she defines a "drive" in that way.
She simply asserts it as a fact.  Now it is certainly true of the
deficiency-needs, that once fulfilled and gratified, they no longer drive a
person to satisfy them- until the need re-asserts itself.  But this is not
true of the B-needs.  When you gratify them, your experience of positive
energy, vitality, and a sense of well being increases so that you want more.

If you hear about self-determination theory and read in this area, it mostly
supports what we do in Neuro-Semantics and in Self-Actualization.  The
extensive research that is arising in this field is research that supports
the Self-Actualization themes in Neuro-Semantics.  So you can certainly use
it and refer people to it.  Yet in doing so, the theory itself is less than,
and smaller than, the theories we have in Neuro-Semantics and especially
those that arise in Self-Actualization Psychology.

References:

Susan Fowler (2014).  Why Motivating People Does Not Work and What Does.
New Science of Leading, Energizing, and Engaging.  San Francisco:
Berrett-Koehler Publ

Edward L. Deci, Richard M. Ryan (2002).  Handbook of Self-Determinational
Research, UK: University of Rochester Press.

Neuro-Semantic News

Ivan Wong from APTI has put a link to the introduction that Michael did for
the Neuro-Semantic Conference video on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpQY0ZullKU

He has also put this and the conference link:
http://nsconf2015.wix.com/nsconf2015# <http://nsconf2015.wix.com/nsconf2015>
! on some facebook fanpage of neuro-semantics.   Now is the time to get
yourself signed up and off to Hong Kong!

Ivan Wong

Asia Professional Training Institute

Tel: 2770 8886 (General) / 27708701 (Direct)

Email: ivan at apti.com.hk

Website: www.apti.com.hk <http://www.apti.com.hk/> 

L. Michael Hall, Ph.D.

                Neuro-Semantics Executive Director 

                Neuro-Semantics International

P.O. Box 8

Clifton, CO. 81520 USA                             

                1 970-523-7877 

                Dr. Hall's email:
<mailto:meta at acsol.net\hich\af31506\dbch\af31505\loch\f31506> meta at acsol.net

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