--- title: The Best Way to Motivate People description: "Yes We Can" canonical: https://time.com/3765522/best-way-motivate-people/ author: Eric Barker article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-04-01T04:01:39.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-31T08:18:48.853Z article:section: Ideas og:title: The Best Way to Motivate People og:description: "Yes We Can" og:url: https://time.com/3765522/best-way-motivate-people/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd62b62659b713b14/698786072dce010da49de4c7/128221681-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=338&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 338 og:image:height: 190 og:image:alt: rowing-team-racing og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Best Way to Motivate People twitter:description: "Yes We Can" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd62b62659b713b14/698786072dce010da49de4c7/128221681-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=338&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Best Way to Motivate People > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. Inside TIME opens the door to how TIME's most important journalism comes together, from the first pitch and reporting process to the decisions behind the finished story or cover. Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs takes readers inside the newsroom, revealing the journalists, ideas and editorial choices behind the stories shaping the global conversation. 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Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Apr 1, 2015 4:01 AM UTC  Team crew racing at Windermere Cup, Seattle, WA Team crew racing at Windermere Cup, Seattle, WA Getty Images by [Eric Barker](https://time.com/author/eric-barker/) ## Eric Barker Apr 1, 2015 4:01 AM UTC Emphasize forward progress — not for the sake of the project, but for your team members. Harvard’s Teresa Amabile’s research found that nothing is more motivating than [progress](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/what-motivates-us-more-than-most-anything-els) in meaningful work and nothing more taxing than setbacks. Via [The Progress Principle: Using Small Wins to Ignite Joy, Engagement, and Creativity at Work](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/142219857X/ref=as%5Fli%5Fss%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=spacforrent-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=142219857X): --- > “” --- And this can spur innovation: --- > “” --- **Join over 161,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email** [**here**](http://eepurl.com/o6uAD)**.** **_This piece originally appeared on_** [**_Barking Up the Wrong Tree_**](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2012/06/what-is-the-most-powerful-management-techniqu/)**_._** Related posts: [A Navy SEAL Explains 8 Secrets To Grit And Resilience](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2015/01/grit/) [New Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More Successful ](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/09/be-more-successful/) [How To Stop Being Lazy And Get More Done – 5 Expert Tips](http://www.bakadesuyo.com/2014/08/how-to-stop-being-lazy/) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3765522/best-way-motivate-people/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3765522/best-way-motivate-people/"},"headline":"The Best Way to Motivate People","datePublished":"2015-04-01T04:01:39.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T08:18:48.853Z","description":"\"Yes We Can\"","url":"https://time.com/3765522/best-way-motivate-people/","keywords":["Psychology"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd62b62659b713b14/698786072dce010da49de4c7/128221681-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Eric Barker","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/eric-barker/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd62b62659b713b14/698786072dce010da49de4c7/128221681-copy.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"rowing-team-racing","caption":"rowing-team-racing","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/psychology/","name":"Psychology"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3765522/best-way-motivate-people/","name":"The Best Way to Motivate People"}}]}] ```