What drives and motivates people to perform and be successful?

As it turns out, it isn’t just money and recognition.

In his persuasive book Drive, Daniel H. Pink dares to unlock the truth about what

motivates us. He shows that there is a mismatch between what science knows and

what organizations do. The operating system that businesses currently operate on

is based around extrinsic incentives, carrot-and-stick motivators that don’t work

and often do more harm than good. This operating system is in need of an up-

grade, and many studies on motivation theory are paving the way toward a new

operating system Pink calls Motivation 3.0. This

new operating system is based on three elements:

Autonomy – the desire to be self-directed and in

control of our own lives; Mastery – the strong

impulse to keep improving at something that is

important; and Purpose – the urge to do some-

thing in the service of something greater than our-

selves. This book serves to show how organiza-

tions haven’t caught up with the new understand-

ings of how people are motivated to do what they

do, and attempts to work toward closing this gap.

Daniel H. Pink is an award-

winning author of several

books including the New

York Times bestsellers

Drive, To Sell is Human,

and A Whole New Mind.

He received his JD from

Yale Law School in 1991,

however, after deciding

not to practice law, he

decided to pursue work in

government. He served as an

aide to U.S. Secretary of

Labour Robert Reich and

acted as Vice President Al

Gore’s chief speech writer

from 1995 to 1997. He cur-

rently serves on the advisory

boards of RiseSmart, Better-

ment Institutional, Heleo, and

Hubspot (About Daniel Pink,

2018).

Summary in Brief

About the Author

Drive The Surprising Truth About

What Motivates Us

By Daniel H. Pink

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 R O B E R T N E M C K O

C O N T E N T S

Introduction 2

A New Operating

System

3

Why Carrots and

Sticks Don’t Work

4

When Carrots Do

Work

5

Type X and Type I

Behaviour

5

Autonomy 6

Mastery 7

Purpose 9

Critical Evaluation 10

E X E C U T I V E B O O K

S U M M A R Y

S P E C I A L P O I N T S

O F I N T E R E S T :

What science knows

and what organizations

do are misaligned

Our system of extrin-

sic motivation is in-

compatible with to-

day’s world

Motivation 3.0 is based

on three elements:

Autonomy, mastery,

and purpose

If harnessed, these 3

elements could help to

improve our organiza-

tions and our world

“For too long,

there‟s been a

mismatch

between what

science knows and

what business

does.” (p. 16)

Inside Story Headline

Inside Story Headline

Introduction: The Third Drive

Harlow’s monkey

experiment, 1949.

In 1949, Harry Harlow, a professor of

psychology, gave eight rhesus monkeys

mechanical puzzles to see how they

would react. During the experiment,

the monkeys became adept at solving

the puzzles without being taught and

without the reward of food, affection,

or praise. This challenged what scien-

tists knew about the two main drives

that fueled behaviour. The first drive

was the biological drive; the urge to

seek food, water, and opportunities for

reproduction. The second drive was to

seek external reward and avoid punish-

ment. This experiment posed some

interesting questions about motiva-

tional theory. Harlow proposed a novel

third drive: Intrinsic reward, which

came from the joy of the task. He

called this drive intrinsic motivation.

Even more peculiarly, when Harlow

offered raisins (extrinsic reward) to the

monkeys, their performance was dis-

rupted as their focus shifted from the

task to the reward. These findings

showed that intrinsic motivation was

efficient for facilitating learning. How-

ever, these ideas were largely ignored

as they posed a threat to the estab-

lished scientific understanding.

Twenty years later, Edward Deci, tried

another experiment with humans do-

ing puzzles over three days. He observed

that when money was offered to partici-

pants for completing the puzzles, they

became more interested in working to

solve them, however, when the reward

was removed, so too was their interest.

Meanwhile, participants who were offered

no money at all seemed to become more

engaged in the puzzles over the three

days. This experiment seemed to show a

surprising result: When money is used as

an external reward, it gave a short-term

boost, but reduced long-term motivation.

The subjects lost intrinsic interest. Re-

wards appeared to have a negative effect.

These experiments reveal some startling

results in regard to the power of the third

drive, intrinsic motivation, and challenged

the long-held assumptions that organiza-

tions had been operating on throughout

the ages: Give rewards, and the people

will get the work done. These experiments

and the numerous studies that followed,

instead, showed that extrinsic rewards,

short-term incentive plans, and pay-for-

performance schemes don’t work, and

indeed, may do more harm than good.

Instead, we have an inherent tendency to

seek novelty and challenges, and that this

third drive could be fostered to improve

organizations.

P A G E 2 E X E C U T I V E B O O K S U M M A R Y — D R I V E

AZ Quotes

The Rise and Fall of Motivation 2.0

P A G E 3 E X E C U T I V E B O O K S U M M A R Y — D R I V E

Like computers, Pink argues that

societies function on operating

systems, and as the hardware and

software they run become too

complex for the operating system

to manage, we are in need of an

upgrade. Fifty thousand years ago,

as hunters and gatherers, human

survival was based on the first drive,

the biological need to gather food

and flee danger: Motivation 1.0. As

our societies grew more complex,

the Motivation 1.0 operating system

became incompatible with how we lived

and worked. A second drive emerged

that took a carrot-and-stick approach to

motivate: Motivation 2.0. This new op-

erating system has been essential to

economic progress throughout the

centuries to motivate. To keep things

running smoothly, improve performance,

and increase productivity it rewarded

behaviour that was desired and punished

behaviour that was discouraged. It was

highly effective…until it wasn’t.

As the 20th century progressed, econo-

mies continued to become even more

complex, and the people within them had

to deploy new sophisticated skills. Moti-

vation 2.0 was met with resistance as the

idea that humans would remain inert

without rewards and punishments has

been challenged. The challengers asserted

that people have higher drives, that if

tapped, could benefit businesses. Our

Motivation 2.0 operating system is crash-

ing, and a full-scale upgrade is necessary.

The source of the problem lies in three

incompatibility problems.

In a time met with underachieve-

ment in business and technology

and employee disengagement, a

full-scale upgrade is needed…

Motivation 3.0 built on intrinsic

motivation.

2. How We Think About

What We Do

Motivation 2.0 assumes that hu-

mans are rational, robot-like profit

maximizers, however, economists

are starting to realize that this not

the case. Our behaviour is far

more irrational and complex.

People leave lucrative jobs they

don’t like to take on low-pay,

purpose-oriented jobs. People

take clarinet lessons despite

knowing that they won’t get paid

for doing so or find a mate. To

understand human behaviour, we

have to confront ideas that are at

odds with Motivation 2.0.

3. How We Do What We

Do

For many of us, jobs are becom-

ing more challenging, complex,

interesting, and self-directed

than in the past. They have

shifted from algorithmic tasks

(following a set of rules instruc-

tions to a single solution) to

more heuristic tasks

(possibilities need to be experi-

mented with to come up with a

novel solution). While Motiva-

tion 2.0 might work for algo-

rithmic tasks, it impairs perfor-

mance on heuristic tasks on

which modern economies de-

pend.

1. How We Organize What

We Do

New business models, like open

source projects are on the rise

and depend on intrinsic moti-

vation. How creative one feels

when working on the project,

the mastering of the challenge,

and the desire to give to the

community are the strongest

drivers in these projects. In

addition, “not-only-for-profit”

and social businesses that aim to

provide social benefits in lieu of

maximizing profits are shifting

the view of traditional busi-

nesses as profit maximizers to a

new entity of purpose maximiz-

ers that are unsuited to Motiva-

tion 2.0.

The 3 Incompatibility Problems

Intrinsic

motivation is

conducive to

creativity;

controlling

extrinsic

motivation is

detrimental to

creativity.”

(p. 31)

Part I: A New Operating System

(Readingraphics, 2017)

7 Reasons Why Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work

P A G E 4 E X E C U T I V E B O O K S U M M A R Y — D R I V E

Motivation 2.0 operates on the assumption that if we reward

a behaviour, we get more of it and if we punish a behaviour

we get less of it. But, when we take into account the third

drive, strange things begin to happen. Of course, people re-

quire baseline rewards (adequate salary, contract payments,

benefits, and some perks) to motivate us and take the focus

off of unfairness and anxiety. However, after these needs are

met, carrots and sticks begin to take on the opposite effect of

what they are aimed to do. They give us less of what we want

and more of what we don’t want.

In a time met with undera-

chievement in business and

technology and employee dis-

engagement, a full-scale up-

grade is needed…Motivation

3.0 built on intrinsic motiva-

tion.

Intrinsic Motivation

By offering people contingent rewards or “if-

then rewards” (if you do this, then I will give

you that), people give up their autonomy and

it drains the enjoyment of an activity. They

turn play into work. Contingent rewards kill

the third drive. While an extrinsic reward

may boost productivity in the short term, it

results in a long term loss of interest and a

drop in intrinsic motivation.

Creativity

In experiments in which participants were

provided with creative, conceptual challenges,

it was found that extrinsic rewards resulted in

an increased time for subjects to complete

these challenges than those offered no re-

ward. Rewards narrowed the focus of the

participants. Teresa Amabile, performed a

study that rated the work of commissioned

and non-commissioned artists. The work of non-

commissioned artists was rated more creative than that of

the commissioned artists. The commissioned artists re-

ported feeling more constrained and that the art became

more work than joy. Intrinsic motivation is essential to

creativity while extrinsic motivation stifles it.

Good Behaviour

The effects of monetary incentives on doing good deeds is

clear when we look at a blood donation experiment per-

formed in Sweden. By offering pay to people who were

interested in donating blood, they donated over 20% less

than those who weren’t offered pay. Offering pay tainted

the altruistic act of donating blood and pushed out the

intrinsic incentive to do good.

Carrots and Sticks: The Seven Deadly

Flaws (p.50) 1. They strangle intrinsic motivation 2. They diminish performance 3. They destroy creativity 4. They push out good behaviour 5. They encourage unethical behaviour

6. They lead to addictive behaviour 7. They promote short-term thinking

Less of What We Want More of What We Don’t Want

Unethical Behaviour

Examples of how rewards lead to unethical behaviour are

numerous in the business world. Performance goals im-

posed by others can have dangerous consequences. When

extrinsic reward is applied, some people choose the

quickest route and take shortcuts, even if it is the low road.

But, sticks can punish bad behaviour, right? Not quite. A

study in Israel found that when a fine was imposed on late

pickups at daycares, the frequency nearly doubled. Parents

had an intrinsic interest to treat caretakers fairly, however,

a late pickup penalty created a transaction: pay for extra

time. The penalty crowded out good behaviour.

Addiction

To observe how rewards lead to addictive behaviour, one

just needs to walk into a casino. The pursuit of reward leads

to poor decision making and risk-seeking behaviour. Re-

wards behave like drugs; at first, they create pleasure, but

the pleasure soon dissipates and one requires larger and

more frequent doses. The principal-agent theory tells us

that once rewards are applied to completing a task, soon

larger rewards will be required to produce the same effect.

Short-term thinking

Financial incentives and performance goals cause myopic

focus on short-term gains and the loss of sight of long-term

consequences. The 2008 financial crisis demonstrates this

devastating impact clearly as the focus on the short-term

gains ignored the long-term effects. Extrinsic motivators

reduce the depth of thinking and produce a focus on the

immediate. Companies that spend time focusing on quar-

terly earnings show lower growth rates in the long term.

Extrinsic rewards trigger people to work for the reward,

but go no further.

“Mechanisms

designed to

increase

motivation can

dampen it.

Tactics aimed at

boosting

creativity can

reduce it.

Programs to

promote good

deeds can make

them disappear.”

p. 33

When Carrots and Sticks Do Work

P A G E 5 E X E C U T I V E B O O K S U M M A R Y — D R I V E

Carrots and sticks are not all bad as

they have been around for a long

time and have worked, but the need

for them has become outdated.

Rewards offer a boost of motivation

for routine tasks that are uninter-

esting and lack the need for crea-

tivity. Intrinsic motivation can’t be

extinguished for these types of tasks

as there is little intrinsic motivation

involved. Rewards help with routine

tasks when three practices are kept

in mind:

＊ Provide a rationale for why the task is necessary

＊ Acknowledge that the task is boring to show empathy

＊ Allow people to complete the tasks in their own way

without strict instructions

Rewards should be avoided or downplayed for conceptual tasks

with a greater emphasis on autonomy, mastery, and purpose.

Organizations need to offer baseline rewards such as fair and

adequate wages and benefits and a congenial workplace to take

rewards off the table. When teams have autonomy with an

opportunity to pursue mastery and duties related to a larger

purpose in place, the best strategy is to provide a sense of

urgency and significance and then get out of the way. A delicate

use of extrinsic rewards can

boost performance when ap-

plied carefully. Extrinsic re-

wards should be unexpected

and offered after completion of

the task. This shifts the “if-

then” contingent reward to a

“now-that” reward (now that

the task is successfully com-

plete, let’s celebrate with this).

Two more guidelines can help

with providing rewards. First

consider nontangible rewards

such as praise and positive

feedback. Second, provide

useful information, which are

enabling motivators that are

conducive to creativity.

Type X and Type I Behaviour

The Motivation 2.0 operating system relies on and pro-

motes what Pink calls Type X behaviour (X for extrinsic). It

is fueled by extrinsic desires, external rewards and depends

on the second drive. On the other hand, the Motivation 3.0

operating system is based on Type I behaviour (I for in-

trinsic). It is fueled by intrinsic desires, the inherent satis-

faction of performing an activity; the third drive. For type I’s

the freedom, challenge and purpose of the task is the main

motivator. To strengthen organizations and get beyond

underachievement within them, we need to shift our be-

haviour from Type X to Type I with a few distinctions to

keep in mind.

Type I behaviour is made, not born.

Type I’s almost always outperform Type X’s in the long run.

Type I behaviour does not disdain money or recognition.

Type I behaviour is a renewable resource.

Type I behaviour promotes greater physical and mental well-

being.

Type I behaviour depends on autonomy, mastery and pur-

pose. They are more self-directed, devoted to becoming

better at something that matters, and connect the task to a

greater overall purpose. Type I behaviour is critical to

professional, personal, and organizational success. The

science is in and it points to this valuable distinction.

“Greatness and

nearsightedness

are incompatible.

Meaningful

achievement de-

pends on lifting

one’s sights and

pushing toward the

horizon.” (p. 50)

Image from: Ranger4 DevOps

Autonomy: The First Element

P A G E 6 E X E C U T I V E B O O K S U M M A R Y — D R I V E

“[J]ust consider the

very notion of

„empowerment.‟ It

presumes that the

organization has the

power and benevolently

ladles some of it into

the waiting bowls of

grateful employees. But

that‟s not autonomy.”

(p. 31)

Part II: The Three Elements

Motivation can be either controlled (pressure and demand

for outcome is external) or autonomous (based on full

volition and choice). When managers control motivation,

they presume that extrinsic rewards and punishments will

move us forward, but this is not fundamental to human

nature. Instead it switches our default setting away from the

autonomous beings that we are. Autonomous motivation

promotes greater conceptual understanding, improved

performance, increased persistence, reduced burnout, and

enhanced psychological well-being. Management is a tech-

nology and like Motivation 2.0, it needs fixing. Businesses

that revolve around supervision and “if-then” rewards are behind

the science. When bosses listen to employees’ point of view, give

meaningful feedback, provide choice over what to do and how,

and encourage new projects, it leads to greater job satisfaction,

enhanced performance, increased growth of the organization,

and reduced turnover.

Autonomy is an essential feature of work in four ways: What

people do (task), when they do it (time), how they do it

(technique), and whom they do it with (team). Type I behaviour

emerges when people have autonomy over these factors.

1. Task

The Australian software company Atlassian introduced a new

idea they termed “Fed-Ex days”, in which the employees had

24 hours to work on any project they wanted and deliver

their ideas by the next day. This burst of creativity and free-

dom gave birth to a multitude of ideas for new products and

software fixes. The success led to “20% time” in which em-

ployees spent 20% of the work week working on what they

want

This idea had been done before at 3M and led to innovations

like Post-It. Google implemented “20% time”, which led to the

birth of Google News, Gmail, and Google Translate. Initiatives

like Fed-Ex days and 20% time give autonomy over task, and

this is a key to Motivation 3.0. They have costs, but they

deliver new ideas, reduce turnover, and create highly moti-

vated employees who want to perfect and improve.

2. Time

Few lawyers seem to exemplify Type I behaviour and a large

part of the reason why is the autonomy-crushing billable

hour. The billable hour steers focus away from output

(solving problems) to input (piling hours) to increase profits.

However, Motivation 3.0 has no place for the billable hour.

For non-routine tasks, law included, the link between how

much time one spends and what is produced is irregular and

unpredictable. Measurable goals based on time destroy

intrinsic motivation and individual initiative and promote

unethical behaviour.

The 4 Essentials of Autonomy

(Readingraphics, 2017)

The Art of Autonomy

P A G E 7 E X E C U T I V E B O O K S U M M A R Y — D R I V E

“[Motivation 2.0] doesn‟t mesh with the way many new

business models are organizing what we do because we‟re

intrinsically motivated p”

(p. 31)

We all need autonomy, but encouraging autonomy doesn’t mean

discouraging accountability. Motivation 3.0 assumes that people

want to be held accountable and by having their own control over

task, time, technique and team is the direction to this aim.

However, a transition from control to autonomy is not a simple

feat. It requires scaffolding and support to find level ground in an

autonomous environment. Different people prefer different

aspects of autonomy (ie. Task or time), and the best strategy is to

figure out what works best for each individual.

3. Technique

Call center reps have little decision latitude in how they do

their work and call times are often tightly monitored. These

jobs have a turnover rate more than twice the national aver-

age in the U.S. and U.K. Tony Hsieh at Zappos has a very

different approach. New customer service reps are trained

and then offered $2000 to leave if they don’t like it. He is

hacking Motivation 2.0 to weed out those who don’t fit into

his Motivation 3.0-style workplace. The employees have

autonomy over how they handle the calls, and they are not

monitored. The result is minimal turnover and Zappos has a

reputation for being one of the best companies for customer

service. Other companies, like JetBlue, are “homeshoring”

allowing customer service reps to work from home. One of

these companies is JetBlue, and like Zappos, it has become

renowned for customer satisfaction. Productivity and job

satisfaction are higher in these arrangements due to more

comfort and less monitoring. Furthermore, this arrangement

deepens the talent pool as more people with college degrees,

disabilities, and families line up for the jobs. Many other

companies are following this route seeing the benefits of

giving autonomy over technique.

4. Team

Many organizations are also discovering the benefits of of-

fering freedom for people to choose whom they work with.

For example, at Whole Foods the team members vote on

whether to hire a new employee full time after a trial period.

At Gore and Associates, if one wants to lead a team, they

must first find people to work with them themselves.

The 20% time offered at some companies like Google has cut

through the organizational chart to put together self-

organized teams. When built autonomously, these teams can

turn companies around. Research shows that when people

work in self-organized teams, they are more satisfied than in

an inherited one.

The 4 Essentials of Autonomy (cont.)

“We‟re born to be

players not pawns.

We‟re meant to be

autonomous

individuals, not

individual automatons.

We‟re designed to be

Type I.” (p.86) Mastery: The Second Element Control and autonomy sit on opposite poles, and point in

different directions. While control points in the direction

toward compliance, autonomy points in the direction toward

engagement. This key difference leads to the second element

of Type I behaviour: Mastery – the desire to get better and

better at something that is important to you. Mastery is es-

sential to make one’s way through today’s economy. Solving

complex problems requires inquiring minds and the willing-

ness to experiment with fresh ideas. Engagement is the route

to mastery.

Psychologist, Csikszentmihalyi studied creativity and play and

observed what he called “flow”. He postulated that the most

satisfying moments in life were in a state of flow in which goals

are clear, feedback is immediate, and the relationship between

what we had to do and what we could do is perfect. In a state of

flow we are autonomous and engaged, and the effort is the re-

ward. Some companies have begun to realize that creating flow-

friendly environments that help people move to mastery en-

hances productivity and job-satisfaction. When tasks exceed

one’s capabilities, it leads to anxiety, while if they undermine

one’s capabilities it leads to boredom. “Goldilocks tasks” that

balance what we must do with what we can do trigger the expe-

rience of flow.

Flow is essential to mastery, but doesn’t guarantee it as flow

happens in a moment while mastery spans a timeline of months,

years, or decades. How can we move ourselves toward mastery?

The findings of behavioural scientists suggest that mastery abides

by three laws.

Mastery: The Oxygen of the Soul

P A G E 8 E X E C U T I V E B O O K S U M M A R Y — D R I V E

“[Motivation 2.0] doesn‟t mesh with the way many new

business models are organizing what we do because we‟re

intrinsically motivated p”

(p. 31)

Mastery Is a Mindset

Psychology professor Carol Dweck has done some ground-

breaking research in motivation and achievement. Her signa-

ture finding is that what people achieve is shaped by what they

believe. Dweck proposes that people can hold two different

“self-theories” with regards to their intelligence.

Those who have an “entity theory” believe that

intelligence exists within in us in a fixed quantity

that cannot increase. On the other hand, those

who hold an “incremental theory” believe that

intelligence can be increased with effort, there-

fore, educational and professional encounters

provide opportunity for growth. To incremental

theorists, effort is positive since working hard

and exerting yourself is a way to get better, and

only this will lead to mastery.

Dweck’s insights outline the behavioural dis-

tinctions between Motivation 2.0 and Motiva-

tion 3.0. Type I behaviour maintains an incre-

mental theory of intelligence that views effort as

a welcomed means to improve.

Mastery Is a Pain

Researchers went to the United States Military Academy at

West point to understand why some students continued the

grueling path toward military mastery while others dropped

out the first chance they got. The best predictor of success

was not physical ability, intellect, or leadership ability; it was

“grit” –perseverance and passion for long-term goals. Mas-

tery of any skill requires effort, which is often difficult, ex-

cruciating, and all-consuming. And this effort requires grit.

Flow also comes in here. If people are aware of what puts

them in flow, they will have a clearer idea of what they should

dedicate themselves to master. Mastery involves a lot of

work, sometimes with little improvement, but a few mo-

ments of flow can pull one through the hard times.

Mastery Is an Asymptote

In mathematics, an asymptote is a line that a curve ap-

proaches but never reaches. Mastery is like this as it is im-

possible to fully realize. The best of the best in all fields

pursue mastery, and are constantly looking to improve. So

why pursue something that can never be attained? That is the

allure of mastery, that the joy is in the pursuit rather than the

attainment.

The 3 Laws of Mastery

According to Pink, people are more likely to reach a state of

flow at work rather than in their leisure time. When work is

structured to have clear goals, immediate feedback, and the

challenge is well suited to our capabilities, we don’t just

enjoy the work more, but we do it better. Pink states that it

is odd that more organizations

deprive people of these experi-

ences. By providing more

“Goldilocks tasks “ and looking

for ways to unleash Motivation

3.0, organizations can help not

only to enrich people’s lives, but

support their own cause. Chil-

dren move from one flow mo-

ment to another with a mindset

of growth and dedication. Then

it is gone. Csikszentmihalyi ex-

plains that, “You start to get

ashamed that what you’re doing is childish” (p.103). This is

a huge mistake as we should all be seeking out opportuni-

ties for flow.

It would be an

impoverished

existence if

you were not

willing to

value things

and commit

yourself to

working

toward

them.” (p. 31)

“In the end, mastery attracts precisely because

it eludes.” (p. 101)

“Once we realize that the

boundaries between work

and play are artificial, we

can take matters in hand

and begin the task of

making life more

livable.” (p.103)

Purpose: The Third Element

P A G E 9 E X E C U T I V E B O O K S U M M A R Y — D R I V E

Autonomy and mastery form the

first two legs of the tripod, but the

third, purpose, is necessary for bal-

ance. Autonomous people in pursuit

of mastery perform at high levels,

but those who perform in the ser-

vice of a greater objective can ac-

complish even more.

Motivation 2.0 doesn’t recognize

purpose as a motivator as it is cen-

tered on profit maximization. It neglects

a very part of what makes us human:

Seeking purpose. While the profit motive

is powerful, it is insufficient for individu-

als and organizations. Motivation 3.0

doesn’t discard profits, but it emphasizes

purpose maximization equally. The pur-

pose motive exists in three realms of or-

ganizations: Goals, words, and policies.

respond to questions about the company. “They”

companies and “we” companies have vast differences.

And it’s the “we” companies that fall into the Motiva-

tion 3.0 category.

Policies

The policies that businesses implement turn the words

that they use into the goals they aim to achieve. Many

organizations have devoted a great deal of time and

effort to form corporate ethics guidelines during the

last decade. Despite this, unethical behaviour hasn’t

declined. When people who are intrinsically motivated

to behave ethically because “it’s the right thing to do”

are presented with a checklist of ethical standards,

they now have extrinsic motivation to check all the

boxes so the company doesn’t get sued. They might

meet the minimal ethical standards to avoid punish-

ment, but the purpose of ethics has been lost. A better

strategy is to recruit the power of autonomy for pur-

pose maximization.

Psychologists and economists are finding a weak cor-

relation between money and happiness. The way that

people spend their money might be just as important

as how much they earn. This suggests that companies

might improve their policies and employee emotional

well-being by offering less “if-then” incentives and

allowing employees to control how the organization

gives back to the community through charitable dona-

tions on their behalf.

1. Goals

Blake Mycoskie launched TOMS shoes in 2006. Its

website defines it as “a for-profit company with giving

at its core”. Its business model is unique in that every

time it sells a pair of shoes, it gives another pair to a

child in a developing country. TOMS is not alone in its

purpose maximizing aims. It is being joined by a host

of other “for benefit” organizations, B corporations,

and low-profit limited-liability corporations that are

recasting the goals of traditional businesses. These

Motivation 3.0 companies are becoming more preva-

lent as a new class of businesspeople seek purpose

with the same zeal that economic theory states that

entrepreneurs seek profits.

2. Words

In the spring of 2009, while the world was in the midst

of an economic crisis, a group of Harvard students

made a plan and put together “The MBA Oath”. It is

like a Hippocratic oath for business graduates that

pledges their loyalty to purpose above profits. The

conduct and words of this oath lean more toward pur-

pose maximization and deliver the essence of Motiva-

tion 3.0. The words of business like ‘efficiency’,

‘advantage’, and ‘value’ are being joined by words like

’truth’, ‘justice’, and ‘honour’.

Former U.S. Labour Secretary, Robert B. Reich has an

effective way to measure the health of company that

he calls the ”pronoun test”. When he visits a work-

place, he listens for the pronouns employees use to

The 3 Realms of Purpose

“A healthy society – and

healthy business organizations

– begins with purpose and

considers profit a way to

move toward that end or a

happy by-product of its

attainment.” (p. 115)

Critical Evaluation

Conclusion

The science shows that old carrot-and-stick motivators are effective only in a select

few circumstances. The “if-then” rewards of the Motvation 2.0 operating system are

destroying the high-level, creative, conceptual abilities that are essential to our eco-

nomic and social progress. The secret to high performance, the science is revealing, is

our deep-rooted need for autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Bringing our businesses

up to speed with our modern understanding of motivation is difficult, but repairing

this gap between what science knows and what organizations do is indispensible.

“It’s an affirmation of our humanity” (p. 116).

P A G E 1 0 E X E C U T I V E B O O K S U M M A R Y — D R I V E

T H E T Y P E I

T O O L B O X

9 W A Y S T O I M P R O V E

Y O U R O R G A N I Z A T I O N

Try “20% time” with training

wheels

Encourage peer-to-peer

“now that” rewards

Conduct an autonomy audit

Take 3 steps toward giving

up control:

Involve people in goal-

setting

Use noncontrolling

language

Hold office hours

Discover what colleagues believe is the purpose of the

organization

Use Reich’s pronoun test

Design for intrinsic motiva-

tion

Promote “Goldilocks tasks”

for groups

Try out a Fed-Ex day

Drive is a truly thought-provoking and engaging book. Daniel Pink’s writing style is insightful,

humourous, provocative, and easy to read. To highlight his insights, he references numerous

experiments and real world examples that emphasize the shortcomings of the carrot-and-stick

approach and the triumphs of Motivation 3.0. By pointing out the research, he makes a

stronger case for the significance of transitioning how we motivate people within our organi-

zations. A lot of the research cited is counterintuitive, however, and I felt that some points

required further explanation or theorizing. For example, one experiment pointed out that

higher rewards led to weaker performance. Why is this? Pink leaves the reader begging for a

clear explanation for how this could be true as it goes against most people’s common sense.

This is where he fell short, in my opinion. Regardless, I would highly recommend this book to

anyone in a leadership position or in any position that has opportunities to motivate and affect

others’ performance in their work or personal lives.

While reading, I was compelled to step back and look at my own workplace to see how au-

tonomy, mastery, and purpose are promoted to achieve high performance and where im-

provements are needed. I think educators are granted a lot of purpose and opportunities for

mastery that can be harnessed, however, I feel that autonomy can often be neglected through

strict curricular guidelines. Also, as a leader in the classroom, I couldn’t help but to reflect on

how I implement these ideas to motivate my students and consider how I can make adjust-

ments to provide greater opportunities for autonomy, mastery, and purpose. The Type I

Toolkit at the end of the book was a bonus to build ideas to become a more effective motivator

and leader. Another concept that resonated with me was “flow”. I was forced to examine how

often I have had these experiences in my professional and personal life and how they have

moved me toward mastery in my endeavours. It is a concept that I will certainly consider more

closely to take advantage of these flow opportunities for higher achievement.

While Pink didn’t make direct reference to transformational leadership, many of the ideas

presented in his book reflected this approach. Northouse (2016) states that transformational

leadership places an “emphasis on intrinsic motivation and follower development, which fits

the needs of today’s work groups, who want to be empowered and inspired to succeed” (p.

161). Pinks insights on the three elements of Motivation 3.0 (autonomy, mastery, and purpose)

nicely align with this view. Pink’s ideas on Type I behaviour also tie into transformational

leadership’s concern with emotions, values, ethics, standards and long-term goals, while Type

X behaviour ties to transactional leadership with its emphasis on contingent rewards and

negative reinforcement (Northouse, 2016). Through Daniel Pink’s insights, people could cer-

tainly be transformed to make their work a better expression of themselves.

Q U E S T I O N S F O R

C O N S I D E R A T I O N

How can leaders begin to make

the transition toward autonomy,

mastery, and purpose? Would

they want to?

Are people prepared to make

this transition? How can they

become more prepared?

How would Motivation 3.0 im-

prove your organization or prac-

tice?

How can our work environments

be changed to promote more

engagement?

Is Motivation 3.0 overly idealistic?

About Daniel Pink. (2018, January 11). Retrieved February 21, 2018, from http://www.danpink.com/about/

Northouse, P. G. (2016). In Leadership: Theory and practice (7th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Pink, D. H. (2012). Drive: the surprising truth about what motivates us. New York, NY: Riverhead Books.

References

Check out Daniel Pink’s Ted Talk:

https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pink_on_motivation