New York Times bestselling author Daniel Pink wrote the book about motivation. His extensive research and analysis indicated that motivation for the daily grind of hard work does not necessarily come from the “big”, often financial, reward at the end of all the hard work. Rather, the motivation comes from feelings of autonomy, mastery and purpose. These are priceless tools to put to work in the average American workplace.

So, let’s consider how to motivate the good employees.

Good employees should be rewarded with some autonomy in the location, schedule and method for doing their work. They’ve earned it. Bad employees can be given the autonomy to see if they improve as a result of it or sink themselves even further. Either way, an employer will know what to do with those bad employees next.

Good employees should not have to wait an entire year, and sometimes longer, for that anxiety-inducing and fleeting annual review to hear that they are good, have gotten better or have really added value to the company. Why not rescue the dreaded Monday of the week and use that as the day to reinforce the employee’s decision to show up? In other words, on Monday, dole out some sincere praise and make Monday a day valuable employees actually look forward to! Who wouldn’t appreciate hearing, “great job on that sale last week!” or, “thanks again for staying late last Thursday to finish that project. It really meant a lot.”? These rewards cost an employer nothing but provide tenfold returns in loyalty, productivity and workplace satisfaction (i.e., no nasty rants on Facebook).

Good employees should be encouraged to understand the purpose of their work, how it fits in with the company’s bigger objectives and how the company fits in with the employee’s great objectives. Employees, as well as owners, want a sense of meaning and legacy, and no one, least of all a competent and valuable employee, wants to feel like they are just working for a paycheck. Yes, even if it is a really big one.

Want to read more? Check out Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Daniel Pink.