It’s the end of the week, your to-do list seems almost impossible to conquer, and the weekend can’t come soon enough. The burnout is real. But it turns out, there’s a scientifically-proven new way to improve your productivity at work: pizza and compliments.
Yes, you read that right. Dan Ariely, author of Payoff: The Hidden Logic That Shapes Our Motivations, completed a study that proves that pizza is king — at least at the beginning of the week — when it comes to inspiring good work. Ariely references an Israeli experiment where factory workers were motivated to complete their projects either by receiving pizza or a compliment from their boss. While the two were very close as far as success rate goes, those workers who snagged a slice proved to be 6.7 percent more productive, and those who received a “Well done!” text from their supervisor increased their productivity by 6.6 percent. There’s nothing like a slice of doughy, cheesy goodness to keep you motivated and ready to take on the day. (Drooling yet? We are.)
And ready for another shocker? Cash was not a great motivator. Not compared to the pizza and good words from the boss, anyway. The study shows that those workers who were promised a quick bonus for completed work were only 4.9 percent more productive. Turns out, people are not motivated by money alone. Maybe a pepperoni pie is really the way to go.
Now, toward the end of the week, when motivation was especially low (hello, the weekend is coming!), the study saw compliments being the more effective influencer. But we sure can’t fault — or forget — the power of pizza.
Get the one-two-punch of motivation and healthy eating by indulging in some better-for-you pizza recipes and enjoy the work and diet benefits!
