Self-determination theory

The central idea

Motivation is not a quantity (a lot or a little) but a quality. Two people may work equally hard; what changes everything is why they do it. Motivation that comes from within (intrinsic) is more lasting, more creative and healthier than motivation imposed from outside: reward, fear or pressure.

Three fundamental psychological needs

Nourished, they let intrinsic motivation flourish. Thwarted, they extinguish it.

A continuum, not a switch

Between pure constraint and fully owned choice lie degrees: acting out of external obligation, then to avoid guilt, then because one sees the point of it, then because it aligns with one's values. The role of the manager-coach is not to "push", but to help move the cursor to the right, to where commitment becomes one's own.

The link with coaching

When the manager gives the answer, they serve the immediate result but deprive the other of autonomy ("it isn't my choice") and of competence ("I didn't work it out"). When they ask an open question and let the other build their own solution, they nourish all three needs at once: autonomy (it's your decision), competence (you found it), relatedness (I'm listening, I trust you). This is the scientific reason why "questioning rather than imposing" is a lever of motivation, not merely a benevolent stance.

The nuance for an executive committee. Supporting autonomy does not mean letting everything go or abandoning the frame. One can set a demanding expectation and let the person choose the path to reach it: this is in fact the most powerful combination. The opposite of autonomy is not structure, it is control.