I decided to read this book after watching Dan Pink give his TED Talk on the same subject. “What Science knows about motivation that Business doesn’t”
Like “Outliers,” this book systematically debunks myths we base our lives, not to mention our businesses, on. Rather than success(ful people) Dan tackles the subject of motivation. We all work or have worked for companies that have penalties for not adhering to policies, and incentives to drive performance. I.e. we all use the “carrot and stick” or extrinsic approach to motivating people.
Yet, as study after study show, extrinsic motivators rarely motivate us. When they do, it’s rarely sustainable. How many people hate their work, their boss, their company. How many just tolerate their work, living in the And for those that love their work, how many are truly motivated to do what they do by the bonuses or fear of repercussions?
So if extrinsic motivators aren’t the most effective way to motivate people, exactly what are the “intrinsic” motivators which are? Dan proposes 3 – Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose.
- People work best when they have autonomy over where they work, when they work, with whom they work, and how they get the job done.
- Individuals want to master their work. Here Dan references both “Flow” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, as well as the 10,000 hour rule in Outliers, among other studies.
- Finally, the best activities are those where we serve a purpose greater than ourselves.
What I loved most about the book, and which separates it from other business books of this sort, is that it doesn’t end with the “what,” but has an entire chapter on “how” to implement the learnings. There are great practical suggestions for parents, managers, business owners, and individuals.
Rog42’s Rating Index (RRI)
| Category | |
| Readability | ***** |
| Novel Learning | ***** |
| Influence of Change | ***** |
| Overall RRI | ***** |
Buy, Borrow, or Ignore List?
“Buy” – This is definitely a must buy book. Don’t only pop it on your reading list, but drive it to the top of the list. Then implement what you learn.