What Motivates You... Dan Pink asks at Last Week's ASAE Great Ideas Conference

Daniel H. Pink is the author of several provocative, bestselling books about the changing world of work.

His latest is Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, which uses 40 years of behavioral science to overturn the conventional wisdom about human motivation and offer a more effective path to high performance.  Drive reached every national bestseller list in its first month of publication and is now in its seventh week on the New York Times list. Over the next year, it will appear in Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, French, German, Spanish, and 13 other languages.

At the closing session of ASAE’s Great Idea Conference, in Colorado Springs, Daniel Pink discussed assumptions that are detrimental to the way we run organizations:

1. Humans are simple machines.

2. Humans are simply blobs. (fundamentally passive & inert)

He continued to say, “a far more promising path is to believe that people are active & engaged.  Money is a motivator. They need to feel like they are adequately compensated or they do the minimal amount of work needed not to be fired.”

Pink paints the ‘big picture’ indicating people would prefer activities where they can pursue three things.

1. Autonomy: People want to have control over their work.
2. Mastery:  People want to get better at what they do.
3. Purpose:  People want to be part of something that is bigger than they are.

Autonomy (Takeaway: 20 percent time w/ training wheels or 10 percent time)

Management is an excellent technology for compliance, for engagement they need technology of self-direction. Autonomy over: time, technique, team, task and you will get better performance out of staff & volunteers.  The idea of giving people 20 percent of their time to work on whatever they want supports innovation & engagement. A cash reward just creates activity because everyone is focused on the cash.

Mastery (Takeaway: DIY Performance Reviews)

We like to get better at stuff.

People are more satisfied with their station when they are making progress. Enjoyment-based intrinsic motivation is the strongest and most pervasive driver. (i.e. Linux, Apache, Firefox) DIY Performance Reviews – Set out your goals and analyze what you’ve done honestly. What do you need to get better at this? Small groups can also be a more comfortable alternative.

Purpose (Takeaway: Associations have this one in the bag if we utilize it properly)

They want to give back. Associations have this built into their very nature, harness it and use it.”

Just to piggy back on some of Dan’s ideas, I am convinced that the attitude we adopt in the workplace affects everyone … family, friends, employees, partners and consumers.  Along these lines, a few personal insights include:

1. Be thankful with your status in life and for everyday and for what you have achieved through your hard work and your employees’ input.
2. Be thankful for your employees and most importantly, let them know it! A little praise for achievements (remembering that money is a motivator) will go a long way. If criticism is in order, make sure its constructive criticism and balance it with praise.
3. Establish and uphold irreproachable business ethics. Ensure your employees are aware of your corporate culture from the beginning of their employ.
4. Maintain an ‘open door’ policy!

Are you rethinking your motivation and that of your association/organization? Dan Pink's new book "“Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.” has been at the top of the business book best seller list since its release at the end of December.  “Drive is sure to become a significant addition to the enlightened employment literature and is recommended reading for anyone in leadership roles or those who want to get more enjoyment out of their life and work.” http://ezinearticles.com/?Drive-by-Daniel-Pink---Book-Review&id=3591069.

So what really motivates you?   Leave a comment and let us know!