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  • January 10, 2022
  • Article
  • Harvard Business Review (website)

The Secret Ingredient of Thriving Companies? Human Magic

By: Hubert Joly
  • Format:Electronic
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Abstract

The traditional corporate approach to motivating people has been a combination of carrots and sticks: a system of financial incentives designed to mobilize everyone around a plan designed by a few smart people at the top. Multiple studies have confirmed that, for any work involving cognitive or creative skills, financial rewards do not drive motivation and performance. So, what does? According to former Best Buy CEO Hubert Joly, it takes several mutually reinforcing elements to create an environment that unleashes the kind of human magic necessary for a company purpose to take root and flourish. He presents six ingredients to create your company’s unique recipe for human magic.

Keywords

Meaning; Purpose; Organizational Culture; Employees; Motivation and Incentives; Performance

Citation

Joly, Hubert. "The Secret Ingredient of Thriving Companies? Human Magic." Harvard Business Review (website) (January 10, 2022).
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About The Author

Hubert Joly

General Management
→More Publications

More from the Author

    • February 2025
    • Faculty Research

    Lessons from the Magnificent Seven and Other Remarkable High Growth Companies

    By: Hubert Joly and Kayti Stanley
    • September 2024
    • Faculty Research

    Jamie Dimon’s 2024 Letter to JP Morgan’s Shareholders and the Role of Business in Society

    By: Hubert Joly
    • July 2024
    • Faculty Research

    Living up to Purpose and Performance at Parker Hannifin

    By: Hubert Joly, Alicia Dadlani and Martha Hostetter
More from the Author
  • Lessons from the Magnificent Seven and Other Remarkable High Growth Companies By: Hubert Joly and Kayti Stanley
  • Jamie Dimon’s 2024 Letter to JP Morgan’s Shareholders and the Role of Business in Society By: Hubert Joly
  • Living up to Purpose and Performance at Parker Hannifin By: Hubert Joly, Alicia Dadlani and Martha Hostetter
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