How do we best motivate employees engaged in complex tasks?

The Surprising Science of Employee Motivation is a Ted Talk delivered by Daniel Pink. The 18 minute power speech makes an argument that explores extrinsic verses intrinsic motivators, employee performance and concepts such as the ROWE – Results Only Work Environment. Personally i believe that External is the foundation and Internal is the peak of self actualization. People are motivated differently, but certainly the old school way of narrowing the focus on External Motivators for Employees is a model that doesn’t accurately explore the complexities of the modern workplace, and modern work.   Finding new ways to provide incentives for high performing employees is important.  That is why, for example, having an incentive trip for star performers falls short if it does not also integrate addressing elements of intrinsic motivation.   The fusion of intrinsic and extrinsic reward systems seems to be an important consideration.