Thoughtful Tuesday: Dan Pink On What Really Motivates Us

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If I told you money is not a good work incentive would you believe me? Yeah, you might. But what if I told you that money as an incentive can actually lower your performance, would you believe me then? Well it’s true, and science backs this up.

This is the point that Dan Pink has been trying to spread lately. In the video above we’re introduced to some very interesting research that has proven, once and again that performance is not tied to monetary rewards when it comes to even marginally intellectual tasks. Sure it works for mechanical, repetitive, well structured work like manual labor. It was in fact from this kind of labor that we derived our whole current monetary incentive work model. But it does not carry into intellectual work where there are not many rules, no clear outcomes and the demand for creative thinking is high.

So then, what’s the solution? The solution, according to Dan Pink, relies on intrinsic motivators, namely autonomy, mastery and purpose.

Autonomy

This relates to our basic need for freedom. Kingdoms and regimes have fallen because of this need and it stands just as strong in each of us when it comes to our work. Google has famously put this into practice by implementing the 20% time rule, where you can work on whatever project you want, with absolute freedom, for 20% of your work hours. If you’ve ever worked under a micromanaging boss you know how fast the lack of freedom can make you miserable on an otherwise enjoyable job.

Mastery

We humans are a species obsessed with perfection, with the results of mastering a skill. This is why we have athletes, musicians, gurus, et cetera. When your job gives you room to master skills you enjoy you’re bound to put more effort into it.

Purpose

This I think is the biggest one. When the purpose of your work is strong enough you can completely forgo the other two. This is what drives paramedics, soldiers in the battlefield, firefighters and even terrorists. When your work means something to others, when you feel you are making a difference in the world or your community you will feel good about doing it, I guarantee you.

Steve Jobs at apple has famously achieved this. Apple makes computers and personal electronics. So does Dell, HP and many others. Yet you don’t see them command the same amount of loyalty from both its employees and its customers. Why is that? Because at apple purpose is king. The goal is to change the way people interact with each other, to challenge the status quo in everything they do. That’s not a job, that’s a mission. It’s compelling and meaningful. You don’t have to work at apple or be a soldier to be moved by purpose though. Every job has a value to society but more often than not this purpose is shoved to the background instead of using it to motivate us.

As revolutionary as this may seem it’s really something we’ve already known in our hearts. We’ve all had those jobs that paid the bills but still made us feel like crap, money has never been the answer. It’s time to change the management mindset to reflect it.