Inner Work Life and Performance
How do people’s feelings, thoughts and drives affect their performance at work? Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer have coined the term “inner work life” to describe the psychological experience of people at work. Along with their colleagues, they have shown that people are more productive, creative, committed and collegial when they have positive emotions and thoughts about the work and when they are motivated by intrinsic interest in the work itself.
Amabile, T.M., and Kramer, S.J. (2007). Inner Work Life: Understanding the Subtext of Business Performance. Harvard Business Review, 85:5, 72-83.
This article describes our discoveries about the usually-hidden, yet powerful, perceptions, emotions, and motivations that people experience as they react to and make sense of events in their work day. Each aspect of inner work life can have a significant impact on several dimensions of an individual’s performance.
Amabile, T.M., Barsade, S.G., Mueller, J.S., and Staw, B.M (2005). Affect and Creativity at Work. Administrative Science Quarterly, 50:3, 367-403.
Researchers have long debated the connection between affect (mood or emotion) and creativity. Using day-by-day measures of both affect and creativity, this study reveals that more positive affect on a given work day leads to higher levels of creativity that day – and the next day, as well.
Amabile, T.M. (1997). Motivating Creativity in Organizations: On Doing What You Love and Loving What You Do. California Management Review, 40, 39-58.
This article summarizes research on the connections between the work environment, people’s intrinsic motivation for the work itself, and creativity. The implications are relevant to leader actions at all levels, from project managers to the C-suite.
