Career analyst Dan Pink, in his fascinating talk given at TED Global 2009, explains why the traditional approaches to motivation (extrinsic) are incompatible with many of the types of work that we do in the 21st century.
Autonomy, mastery and purpose. A sensible approach when applied to the right types of work. I suppose the challenge lies in mapping a transition strategy from the traditional approach to this new and appealing motivational system.
As a business owner, the leap of faith required (even though the data appears to back the approach) relative to autonomy relates in my mind to the matter of control and trust. Sometimes the system you’ve known is more comfortable than the system you don’t. But why settle? Why not test it?
Mastery is possible in all things. Mastery involves artistry, creativity, imagination, invention and plenty of practice. Rarely is there just one way to get to the finish line.
As a business owner you must be clear yourself as to the purpose of your enterprise. Is it really helping people? Is it purpose-driven and consistent with your larger sense of purpose? How well have you articulated that purpose? Working at cross-purposes with yourself due to conflicting elements of purpose in your life invariably leads to failure. A house divided cannot stand.
The nature of white-collar work in our country has shifted tremendously over the last century. Technological advances, globalization, and many other factors have been game changers, yet many of the operational and theoretical frameworks describing how best to organize a business have remained largely unchanged and as such, are increasingly incompatible with the present reality.
Time for some experimentation! Thank you, Dan, for your inspiring words.
Gregory Hake 
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Several years ago I participated in a survey that identified the characteristics of the “top of the top” employees. These were the employees who day in and day out, week in and week out, month in and month out, and yes, year in and year out performed at a level that was a few notches above the norm. Among other characteristics that were revealed wasthat these special people shared the characteristic of “Wanting to be a part of something great”!
Isn’t that interesting though. They were not interested or motivated by the usual perks (carrot and the stick) but instead their major motivation came from contributing, being a part of something that had a purpose, and being trusted to do their job.
That survey was obviously a turning point in my understanding of how to effectively guide people to reach higher levels of performance and contribution. The following are some of what I learned:
– extend trust
– include others in what is going on
– identify core values of your company and support them at all times
– have a vision and a purpose for your company
– always focus on value to those who purchase your products and services
– every job and therefore every person is important
– hire nice optimistic people
– have standards
– encourage others
– always look for what is right in others as a starting point
A part of my career did include being on the receiving end of the stick and the carrot routine, and I never saw it work in a positive way. Today I look at those in my age range and can see clearly that it did not work for them either.
Remember, people want to be a part of something meaningful and with a purpose, they want to contribute to something that is making a positive difference in the world!
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Wonderful points, Chuck! Thanks.
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Another TED presentation, and another Gregg Hake post that deserves a standing ovation! It is amazing what happened in the process of watching Dan Pink’s presentation – he created an alignment of the “true facts” (LOL) of science vs. the outdated and unfounded methods of motivation still predominately employed in the business world, and then he dropped the genius bombs of autonomy, mastery and purpose and something was ignited so deeply in my heart of the truth of what he called ‘unseen intrinsic drive’ – the drive to do things for their own sake, the drive to do things because they matter, not some contrived incentive or contingent motivator which dulls thinking, blocks creativity and restricts the possibilities. As he said, the science confirms what we know in our hearts, and by repairing the chasm between what science knows and what business does, by updating our notions of motivation, we CAN change the world. Let’s make the leap!
Autonomy – the urge to direct our own lives
Mastery – the desire 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
To this business model I say YES!!!!
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I heard a great quote earlier this year by Artemas Ward, the American humorist who inspired Mark Twain, and it has shaped much of my thinking and explorations this year. “It ain’t the things we don’t know that cause us all the trouble. It’s the things we do know that ain’t so.”
This presentation is a perfect example of the majority being wrong and at some points in the evolution of an idea it is usually the case. Some ideas that were believed as true by the majority at one point in time are; the world is flat, the sun revolves around the Earth as the Earth is the center of the universe, women can not be trusted to vote in a political election, only boys benefit from an education, the car will never replace the horse as our main mode of transportation as there are not enough roads, bleeding an ill person takes stress off the body and helps them heal…sound preposterous…at certain times in history you would have been crazy not to agree; after all it was common knowledge!
There can be discomfort in being an early adapter possibly ridicule, ostracizing or the transition phase that was mentioned. But understanding that the way to happiness and satisfaction is being challenged, having to learn new skills to meet that challenge, changing and as you have put it “onward and upward”!
Great presentation. You’ve given me lots to think about. How does this apply to my business? What does this say about the value people place on the opportunity to be creative? What does it say about humanity’s intrinsic concern to make a difference?
Thanks so much you are definitely a catalyst for my personal growth.
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This is the kind of exciting discovery and development that I am glad is being disseminated through outlets like TED. It allows the people who are interested in thinking innovatively to listen to a message without interference from outside sources, which grants you an opportunity to think about these things for yourself. I think the point from today’s video is absolutely valid, and like the presenter pointed out, is an innate knowledge (at least for me). Idea-driven jobs are hard, and creativity cannot always be forced. It makes sense that those that were given an opportunity to be creative about something would do better if they could master a task they felt was for a good purpose, with autonomy.
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Thanks Gregg. Very helpful post!
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What Dan says here is a “true fact”. I work as an independent contractor – 100%. There are no ‘carrots’ or ‘sticks’ provided by my company – only a genuine desire to see me succeed…. My character success is valued much more so than the “numbers” I generate. They are interested in creativity and thinking outside the box so that we can provide a higher service and value to our Clients – Autonomy – that’s exciting! And the result is that my “numbers” are likely much higher than if my company motivated me through extrinsic means like bonuses and quotas.
But what I find so critical is the transition phase, as you say, mapping out a path to move from the traditional model to the “new” motivational model.
This is key – I had someone who guided me through -otherwise I might have been looking over my shoulder because of the comfort that had been created with a regular paycheck and routine. When people are asked to take a different path it can’t be simply dumped on them and expected to be picked up with total enthusiasm – they need to be guided. I was, and it’s been an amazing transition and process – successful for all involved, my self, my clients, and the company. And now there is the opportunity to develop a Mastery of my profession because i share in the Purpose of our Company and Clients – it’s not just a job.
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