Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink (PDF)

Description

Forget everything you thought you knew about how to motivate people – at work, at school, at home. It’s wrong. As Daniel H. Pink explains in his new and paradigm-shattering book DRIVE: THE SURPRISING TRUTH ABOUT WHAT MOTIVATES US, the secret to high performance and satisfaction in today’s world is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world. Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does – and how that affects every aspect of our lives. He demonstrates that while the old-fashioned carrot-and-stick approach worked successfully in the 20th century, it’s precisely the wrong way to motivate people for today’s challenges. In DRIVE, he reveals the three elements of true motivation: AUTONOMY – the desire to direct our own lives; MASTERY – the urge to get better and better at something that matters; PURPOSE – the yearning to do what we do in the service of something larger than ourselves. Along the way, he takes us to companies that are enlisting new approaches to motivation and introduces us to the scientists and entrepreneurs who are pointing a bold way forward. DRIVE is bursting with big ideas – the rare book that will change how you think and transform how you live.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐Some books for me are “game changers.” All of Malcolm Gladwell’s books fall into this category: “Tipping Point,” “Blink” and “Outliers.” Frans Johansson’s “The Medici Effect” prompted me to organize two leadership gatherings: The White Rhino Intersection and Intersection 2.0. Daniel Pink’s latest book, “Drive,” belongs in this same category. I love what Gladwell said about Pink’s book: “I spent as much time thinking about what this book means as I did reading it.” Well said; I have had the same response.To regular readers of The White Rhino Report, Pink is no stranger. I wrote effusively about his earlier book, “A Whole New Mind.”I recently offered a link to a TED talk that summarizes the most salient points of “Drive.”Having been thoroughly mesmerized and intrigued by the “Drive” video, I wondered if I needed to read the book. I am glad I chose to take that additional step. The video serves as an excellent appetizer and introductory tool, but the main nutrient’s can be found in the book.Pink’s genius is his ability to take previously published research from a variety of fields, synthesize and coordinate the data and present the findings to a lay audience in a way that does not “dumb down” the content or the significance of the discoveries. He takes the “what,” and turns it into a powerful “so what?”.In discussing what motivates individuals and teams in almost any setting, Pink describes two types of motivation: Type X (extrinsic) and Type I (intrinsic).”Type I behavior is a renewable resource. Think of Type X behavior as coal, and Type I behavior as the sun. For most of recent history, coal has been the cheapest, easiest, most efficient resource. But coal has two downsides. First, it produces nasty things like air pollution and greenhouse gases. Second, it’s finite; getting more of it becomes increasingly difficult and expensive each year. Type X behavior is similar. An emphasis on rewards and punishments spews its own externalities. And ‘if-then’ motivators always grow more expensive. But Type I behavior, which is built around intrinsic motivation, draws on resources that are easily replenished and inflict little damage. It is the motivational equivalent of clean energy: inexpensive, safe to use, and endlessly renewable.” (Page 80)He goes on to describe what lies at the heart of Type I behavior and the underlying motivations. He issues what amounts to a manifesto for change.”Ultimately, Type I behavior depends upon three nutrients: autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Type I behavior is self-directed. It is devoted to becoming better and better at something that matters. and it connects that quest for excellence to a larger purpose. Some might dismiss notions like these as gooey and idealistic, but the science says otherwise. The science confirms that this sort of behavior is essential to being human – and that now, in a rapidly changing economy, it is also critical for professional, personal, and organizational success of any kind. So we have a choice. We can cling to a view of human motivation that is grounded more in old habits than in modern science. Or we can listen to the research, drag our business and personal practices into the twenty-first century, and craft a new operating system to help ourselves, our companies, and our world work a little better. It won’t be easy. It won’t happen overnight. So let’s get started.” (Pages 80-81)As the author continues to sketch out the components of what he calls Motivation 3.0 – a large quantum leap beyond the traditional Motivation 2.0 that fueled the Industrial Revolution – he describes four aspects of autonomy.”And what a few future-looking businesses are discovering is that one of these essential features is autonomy – in particular, autonomy over four aspects of work: what people do, when they do it, how they do it, and whom they do it with. As Atlassian’s experience shows, Type I behavior emerges when people have autonomy over the four T’s: their task, their time, their technique, and their team.” (Pages 93-94)In discussing the importance of “Purpose” as a factor in motivation, Pink’s work comes close to the themes of the book “Half Time – Moving from Success to Significance,” by Bob Buford, which I reviewed in this space a few months ago:These themes are also resonant with Rick Warren’s best-seller, “The Purpose Driven Life.”The demographic time bomb that is my generation of Baby Boomers presents an interesting dilemma and opportunity occasioned by our anticipated increased longevity.”Upon comprehending that they could have another twenty-five years, sixty-year-old boomers look back twenty-five years – to when they were thirty-five – and a sudden thought clonks them on the side of the head. ‘Wow. That sure happened fast,’ they say. ‘Will the next twenty-five years race by like that? If so, when I am going to do something that matters? When am I going to live my best life? When am I going to make a difference in the world?’Those questions, which swirl through conversations taking place at boomer kitchen tables around the world, may sound touch-feely. But they’re now occurring at a rate that is unprecedented in human civilization. Consider: Boomers are the largest demographic cohort in most western countries, as well as in places like Japan, Australia and New Zealand. . . In America alone, one hundred boomers turn sixty every thirteen minutes. When the cold front of demographics meets the warm front of unrealized dreams, the result will be a thunderstorm of purpose the likes of which the world has never seen.” (Pages 132-133)In my observation, the impact is even more dramatic than that which Pink describes. In my role as a career coach, life coach, recruiter and mentor to many emerging leaders, men and women are beginning to ask the “purpose question” at increasingly younger ages. This bodes well for our future, and will force companies to address this issue if they hope to survive and to attract and to retain top talent.The purpose dynamic has another aspect to it. In the absence of working for a higher purpose, Type X high achievers – the classic “Type A” personalities – work longer and longer hours to achieve material success and promotion. The result is burnout and dissatisfaction.”One of the reasons for anxiety and depression in the high attainers in that they’re not having good relationships. They’re busy making money and attending to themselves, and that means that there’s less room in their lives for love and attention and caring and empathy and the things that truly count.” (Page 144)In the title of this review, I call this book a “Must Read,” yet the book is not for everyone. I recommend it to you only if you meet the following criteria: * You are a life-long learner who is willing to learn new facts and to change your thinking and behavior in accordance with these new insights. * You are in a position of leadership – in a company, in the military, in a family, in a school, in an organization – in which you need to and desire to create an environment of work and learning that maximizes autonomy, mastery, and purpose. * You want to make a positive difference in the world and in the lives of those whom you influence.If this is you, then order this book now, devour it, breath it, taste it, smell it, talk about it and live it. And then pass it on to the next generation of Type I leaders.Enjoy the drive . . . and the journey!Al

⭐I used the knowledge inside this book to help me manage restaurant for years. Understanding what motivates and drives people is an invaluable insight. Old tools for motivation are outdated because they lack understanding on what really makes a person productive and engaged. If you are a business owner, manager, or simply a team member, read this book. Understanding what lights a fire under people to accomplish great things is priceless. Great book and Daniel breaks it down to make it easy to digest.

⭐There are some books you read and you simply absorb and move on about your business. These books either impact you profoundly at a subconscious level, and you don’t realize the impact until much much later; or, they don’t impact you at all. There are other books that seem to reframe your view right away and the more you converse, you find the language of the text seeping into your conversations and thusly reinforce what you’ve learned every time you employ the wisdom transfered through your readership.Dan Pink has written three books in a row that have had impact on my perspective. Any regular follower of the blog knows how much I’ve been influenced by

⭐or ”

⭐.” Those texts highlighted to me where I needed to go next given the headspace I was in when I read them. If there’s any big “a-ha” to me from Pink’s new book, ”

⭐,” it’s that he’s writing about where I am now. Dan Pink is ahead of the future curve, letting people know behind him what’s coming up ahead.When I try to boil down the theme of the book to one central idea, it’s that of intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivations. He frames this early on in the book in a number of ways. First, by talking about the failures of Arthur Anderson, Enron, Wall Street and our financial institutions, he dispels the notions that focusing on the mushy stuff doesn’t affect the bottom line. Clearly, by losing focus on things like greater purpose, ethics, the people we affect, the change we want to see in the world — losing that kind of focus and, instead, hyper-focusing on performance results (extrinsic motivators) affects material gains, at least in the short-term, but at the expense of losing those material games and wreaking unspeakable havoc on the lives of people far beyond the scope of your perceived impact. Pink highlights a number of changes I didn’t know about that are starting to happen — for instance, in April 2008, Vermont became the first US state to allow a new type of business called an L3C (low-profit limited liability corporation). It operates like a for-profit business but it’s primary aim is to offer significant social benefits. — an interesting alternative to a 503c corporation.Second, Pink frames the praise of intrinsic motivation by highlighting, with multiple examples, that this isn’t new, it’s well researched and the evidence holds true in the face of how we think about rewards. He links the notion of how work can translate to play (or vice-versa) to the example of Tom Sawyer getting his friends to pay to paint his fence. This “Sawyer Effect” was researched by behavioral scientists like Harlow (1940s), Maslow (1950s) and Deci (1960s), Lepper and Greene (1970s). There’s now seven decades of research on how people are actually motivated, and while you might not have heard of these names, if you’re in learning you’ve no doubt heard of Abraham Maslow. The theme of “the hidden costs of rewards” is recalled with several examples.To be clear, Pink doesn’t admonish rewards or money or anything like that. He’s making the case, very convincingly, that there’s something else, bigger than the material, that we need to focus on — that once we’ve met some very basic survival needs, we’re ultimately leading unsatisfying lives unless we’re working for something bigger than what’s immediately in front of us. By tapping into that greater good, we unlock a lot more contribution, engagement and ultimately rewards of a virtuous cycle. One way to identify this potential, Pink cites fairly early on, is identifying heuristics vs. algorithms. This is critically important and timely. By putting creative people on rote tasks all the time (algorithms), we crush the creative spirit that is capable of innovation. Instead, give our workers big goals and the decision latitude to work with whom they need to accomplish and exceed expectations without a lot of constraint (heuristics), and be amazed by the speed and the totality of the result. There are countless examples of these successes, but while we marvel at the outcome we generally close our eyes to the process (or lack of process) by which those outcomes are achieved.If you’re new to Pink’s writing style, let me tell you that this book is a fast read. It’s an easy read. It’s an important read and it will open you up to some very interesting research and science behind motivation. This impacts you; this impacts how you impact the people you work with and work for.

⭐I’m worried about this book. Rather, I’m worried about the need for this book. How is it that anyone alive is “surprised” that people do things for the sake of doing things, when damn near everyone alive has spent their whole lives doing just that?Sadly that is the entirety of his insight, and Pink talks around it (and around and around it) without ever getting anywhere else.

⭐Pink sets out to demolish long-held beliefs such as that people are only motivated by extrinsic factors and he does so with gusto. While primarily focusing on the business world, most of the things he says apply directly to education as well.Pink starts by making a useful distinction between ‘algorithmic’ and ‘heuristic’ tasks (p. 29). The former are ones which you perform by following a series of pre-determined steps, while the latter require a more creative approach. Crucially, the latter are far more motivating! In our field this would translate into a distinction between, say, the standard transformation exercise and an activity like improvising and recording a monologue. The big Q for us is: what is the ratio between these two types of activities in our classroom?Later on, Pink draws on Csikszentmihalyi’s insights on ‘Flow’ (p. 115). Csikszentmihalyi’s research showed that most tasks where people achieved ‘Flow’ shared three key elements: a) there were clear goals, b) there was immediate feedback and c) the task difficulty level was perfectly pitched – slightly higher than the performer’s current level. The implications for task design here are obvious…In discussing ‘extrinsic’ vs ‘intrinsic’ motivation, Pink points out that there is often a trade-off; extrinsic factors may work best in the short-term, but in the long run intrinsic motivation is always the winner! (p. 79) Back to ELT, exam classes illustrate this perfectly: granted, both parents and students often clamour for more exam-oriented material as there is always a test round the corner, but in the long run this is disastrous (I have yet to meet students who do CPE tests for fun after getting their certificate…)Motivation leads to ‘autonomy’ and this is where things get really exciting! On p. 86 we are introduced to the concept of ROWE (‘Results-Only Work Environment’). The idea is simple: your employer does not care how or when you do something, so long as you deliver the goods! Now imagine ROSE instead! Imagine a school where classes are not compulsory, where students are more autonomous and they have to actually generate something as evidence of learning (rather than sit endless tests). This is not a dream; the IB model has taken many steps in that direction…Then on p. 93 we go one step further still! Atlasian is a software company where once a week employees can do anything they want!! At the end of the day, employees just show what they have come up with. Now, can you imagine a school where once a week you can work on any project you want? Imagine being paid to design your favourite activities, to incorporate novel IT-based task in the syllabus or prepare worksheets for ‘Comedy for ELT’ sketches? Sheer bliss! 🙂

⭐What motivates you? How can get more motivated?In this book by Dan Pink, he explains some of the myths and details scientific research as to what does motivate humansFrom what he calls the three elements, purpose, mastery, and autonomyAnd the difference between “carrots” and “sticks” and why sometimes it’s about mental attitudeThere are also a bunch of exercises at the back to test your new powers of motivationA great book to give you drive or find the drive you need

⭐I don’t often review the books I read, but with ‘Drive’ I felt I had to. Having worked in the ‘carrot and stick’ environment in my career, I can now see why I was never driven by monetary reward. I am definitely what Pink calls a ‘Type I’ person. Although I am retired now, I feel this book has made me a potentially better person as I have written myself a list of areas I want to master in my life.I recommend this book to anyone wanting more purpose in their life, but also and especially organisational leaders who are looking for more engagement from their employees.

⭐I was recommended to read this book, at the time I thought, to help me work out how to grow my business. I now realise that it was to help me figure out why I’d even want to do that. Sure I’ve got some ideas about what I’ll be pushing for over the next couple of years, but I also found out something way more important. We’re missing a huge opportunity to help our kids grow up into truly useful people, teaching them to jump through hoops with grades, and exams, even spending money, and chores. There’s so much more to go at, and they have that knowledge built in. Definitely a book that has helped me to reboot what I’m doing at work and home, with a load of good positive things that anyone can put into action.

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