Daniel Pink, in his ground-breaking and useful work on job satisfaction and workplace empowerment, identifies three factors that motivate people to do extraordinary work: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. The core of the idea is that once people make enough money, money is no longer an effective motivator. However, when people’s needs for Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose are nurtured, they are more satisfied and productive at their work. This is very useful and powerful material, told from the perspective of a leader of an organization who can have influence over the work environment.

An anti-pattern I sometimes see is colleagues going from unsatisfying job to unsatisfying job without reflecting on how their choices fit into the overall arc of their career. Sound familiar? If you find yourself at a moment of career reflection, I recommend this summary of Pink’s work.