Unlocking Motivation with Primed to Perform: A Valuable Tool for Business Owners and Managers

In the fast-paced world of business, keeping your team motivated and engaged can feel like solving a complex puzzle. Whether you’re a seasoned manager or a new business owner, understanding what drives people to give their best is crucial—not just for productivity, but for fostering a culture that thrives. That’s where Primed to Perform by Neel Doshi and Lindsay McGregor steps in.

This book is not a magic bullet or the sole authority on motivation. Instead, it’s a practical, research-backed resource that offers actionable insights into how to build a high-performing culture. At UVE, we’ve seen firsthand how the principles in this book can be applied to transform workplace dynamics, even as a small team with limited resources. Here’s how.


What Makes Primed to Perform Stand Out?

The cornerstone of Primed to Perform is the concept of “Total Motivation” (ToMo), a framework that combines six motives into two categories: direct and indirect.

  • Direct motives include play, purpose, and potential, which inspire people to work because they want to, not because they have to.

  • Indirect motives like emotional pressure, economic pressure, and inertia, while not inherently negative, can lead to disengagement if they dominate the workplace.

Doshi and McGregor argue that organizations with higher ToMo outperform their competitors in innovation, customer satisfaction, and even profitability. The book provides case studies and data to back this up, making it a valuable tool for leaders looking to improve both morale and outcomes.


How UVE Applied Primed to Perform to Our Business

UVE faces unique challenges common to many small businesses, where team members often take on diverse responsibilities. This makes motivation not just important—but essential.

Here’s how we applied the book’s principles:

1. Embracing “Play” in Everyday Work

The authors define “play” as the intrinsic joy of solving challenges or exploring new ideas. At UVE, we encourage experimentation in our content creation process. For example, when planning a campaign, we treat it as an opportunity to brainstorm creative angles, test new tools, and learn from the results. This approach not only boosts engagement but also leads to better-quality content.

2. Aligning Work with “Purpose”

Purpose, as Doshi and McGregor explain, is about connecting daily tasks to a larger mission. For us, that mission is empowering small businesses through thoughtful marketing strategies. We regularly revisit this “why” during team meetings and even in our solo work sessions. It’s a reminder that every blog post, social media update, or consultation contributes to helping others succeed.

3. Focusing on “Potential”

Potential highlights how a task contributes to personal or professional growth. At UVE, we’ve made professional development a priority by setting aside time for learning. Whether it’s a team member taking an online course or researching trends in marketing, this commitment to growth has paid dividends in both morale and skills.


Why Motivation Matters More Than Ever

The workplace is changing, and employee expectations are evolving. Remote work, the gig economy, and the rise of purpose-driven careers mean that traditional “carrot-and-stick” approaches to management no longer work.

Consider these data points:

  • A Gallup study found that highly engaged teams show 21% greater profitability.

  • Companies with strong cultures have seen a 4x increase in revenue growth, according to Deloitte.

Motivating people in this new environment requires tools like Primed to Perform to rethink and recalibrate how we approach leadership.


Actionable Takeaways for Your Business

Here’s how you can start using Primed to Perform to create a more motivated team:

  1. Evaluate ToMo in Your Organization: Take stock of the direct and indirect motives at play in your workplace. Are people motivated by purpose and play, or is emotional pressure the dominant force?

  2. Make Small, Incremental Changes: You don’t need to overhaul your entire culture overnight. Start by aligning one team goal with a sense of purpose or encouraging one new experiment to foster play.

  3. Invest in Growth: Encourage team members to pursue personal and professional development. It’s a win-win for both the individual and the organization.

  4. Track Progress: Use the “Motivation Factor” assessment provided in the book to measure how your culture evolves over time.


Final Thoughts

At UVE, we’ve learned that motivation isn’t just about keeping people happy; it’s about creating an environment where they can thrive. Primed to Perform has been an invaluable resource for understanding and implementing this principle, but it’s just one tool in our toolkit.

If you’re looking to elevate your leadership or refine your team’s dynamics, this book is worth exploring. And if you’re interested in learning how we’ve applied these lessons to our business, feel free to connect with us through UVE’s blog or social media channels. Let’s build a culture where everyone can succeed—together.

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