A compelling book that makes a good case that people work best when motivated by intrinsic rewards
True or false: If someone will do a certain amount of work for free, that same person will do more work for $20 per hour. Everyone who just answered “true” will be surprised by Daniel Pink’s findings in Drive. Pink is out to undermine what he calls “Motivation 2.0″ — the idea that more reward equals harder work — and he’s brought scores of clinical studies, case histories and anecdotes to do just that. The result is an always fascinating, frequently provocative book that takes continual aim at companies that rely on outmoded forms of motivation.
Pink isn’t trying to claim that we all should work for free, but he is arguing that we need an updated theory of motivation more suitable for a 21st Century workforce, one built around freedom, opportunity and fulfillment. First, Pink lays the groundwork, connecting the dots among numerous studies all showing that people work harder and are more fulfilled when they’re intrinsically motivated. Then come the case studies: from Google to online shoe-retailer Zappos.com, Pink cites company after company that has reaped the rewards from this new means of motivation.
At times fervid, but never quite dogmatic, Drive is a compelling, engaging book that makes a good case that people work best when motivated by intrinsic rewards. Pink has synthesized a wide array of sources spanning several decades of history, but he makes it all easy to swallow without dumbing it down. It’s an informative read that offers a lot of food for thought, a book that anyone — managers or everyday workers — can learn a lot from.
