Recently, here in Seattle, I had the opportunity to sit and listen to Dan Pink in person talk about his new book Drive. Key takeaway? There is a mismatch between what science knows and what business does:
– Incentives work but only in a narrow slice of circumstances (motor work)
– “If then” rewards, destroy creativity
– The secret to high performance is tapping into the intrinsic drive – to do things better because they matter
– Science confirms what we know in our hearts
– Compare what science knows and what business does
– Bring notions of motivation into the 21st century
– Get beyond lazy ideology of carrots and sticks
– Strengthen businesses and empower people to solve more complex problems … and maybe, maybe change the world
Dan’s excellent TED talk elaborates further: