The Ikea Effect is a bias. It makes us overvalue things *we* have built. The name comes from the Swedish company Ikea that sells furniture customers have to assemble themselves. I used to think that the Ikea Effect was just for customers, but having seen the power of autonomy at various levels, I believe that the Ikea Effect works just as well for employees. Only it is not harnessed nearly as much in firms. Here’s what tends to happen: You give your salesperson the best script to match note for note in their spiel to customers and they’ll do it unthinkingly, spiritlessly. Here’s what could happen: You acknowledge an idea they have deeply thought about, show them how to make it fit the overall strategy, help them polish it, but don’t try to own any of it, and you’ll have unleashed the highest level of ownership in them. Now they’ll make it their life’s mission to win over customers. And they’ll continue to think deeply about what will add value to customers’ lives because of a very selfish reason: they just love the high of building solutions and seeing them work. #ikeaeffect #ownership #curiosityovercertainty
Rahul Rana
7mo
Ikea effect is partly why Entrepreneurs would rather work 12-16 hours per day for themselves without anyone asking compared to working a very healthy 40-48 hour work week for a company.
Noah Little
7mo
Absolutely fascinating insight on the Ikea Effect and how it applies to employee autonomy! Satyajit Rout
Value-based Marketing Manager. Certified Career Coach. Copywriter.
7moSame psychology of a 2-3 year kid who won't play with the super fun and smart toys you hand over to them. They will grab those broken pen parts and try to create something out of it. 🏷️ Humans love to own stuff.