Have you heard of “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us“ by Daniel Pink? I had not until very recently and wished I had two years ago when it was initially released. If you commit to adding this 230-page book to your collection, you’re likely to learn quite a bit about yourself and those with whom you work and live. Pink hammers the reader with remarkable examples of “what science knows and what business does.” And guess what? Business often gets it wrong. So here’s a similar warning you heard with last month’s review (of “Practically Radical“): Only read this book if you’re up for taking an action step or six.
The author zeroes in on the core elements of a new way of thinking about motivation: autonomy (the desire to self direct); mastery (the urge to improve at something that matters); and purpose (the yearn to serve something larger than oneself). Pink presents a compelling argument that as a people, we are no longer just driven to survive or seek baseline rewards. Motivation 3.0, as he calls it, speaks to our third drive, our need “to learn, to create, to better our world.” Corny, you say? Really? Place your cynicism aside for the moment (you can do it!) and prepare to be surprised by study after study which show the bigger the reward (bonus, commission, what have you), the worse control groups perform, because carrot-and-stick management is, if not dead, on life support. Apparently, we’re all seeking something more than a year-end bonus or attaboy/attagirl Starbucks gift card.
Invariably, “Drive” causes the reader to take a hard look in the mirror and ask him/herself a key question: How happy am I doing what I’m doing? The 10/2/11 edition of the Boston Sunday Globe once again confirmed what is becoming common knowledge, namely that 50% of adults are unhappy in their line of work and the vast majority of folks would change jobs if only they could. Read this book to learn more about how organizations like Google and 3M demonstrate a true understanding of autonomy, mastery and purpose by allowing their people to tap the creativity we all knew as children and seeing what results. And if you use Gmail and/or Post-its, well, you’re experiencing the benefits of those cultures every day.