Independence, it was the motivator in Training 1776 and it remains a primary motivator for the most productive sales reps.

Though compensation is important, surprisingly it’s not the most important motivator. Independence and the opportunity for workers to complete assignments on their own schedules is surprisingly high on the list of workplace motivators. Often these emotional sources of motivation are more powerful than basic compensation and they are most often found in organizations that nurture peer respect and a sense of individual responsibility.

Giving employees control over their training time commitments and learning tends to increase the value of their assigned goals and increases their self-efficacy.

When adults see themselves as the locus of causality for their learning, they are much more likely to be intrinsically and positively motivated.” — Raymond J. Wlodkowski, adult educator, psychologist, and professor at Regis University, única Denver.