PENGUIN Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

More of a scientific matter having no literal value

Pink sets out to demolish long-held beliefs such as that people are only motivated by extrinsic factors and he does so with gusto. While primarily focusing on the business world, most of the things he says apply directly to education as well.Pink starts by making a useful distinction between ‘algorithmic’ and ‘heuristic’ tasks (p. 29). The former are ones which you perform by following a series of pre-determined steps, while the latter require a more creative approach. Crucially, the latter are far more motivating! In our field this would translate into a distinction between, say, the standard transformation exercise and an activity like improvising and recording a monologue. The big Q for us is: what is the ratio between these two types of activities in our classroom?Later on, Pink draws on Csikszentmihalyi’s insights on ‘Flow’ (p. 115). Csikszentmihalyi’s research showed that most tasks where people achieved ‘Flow’ shared three key elements: a) there were clear goals, b) there was immediate feedback and c) the task difficulty level was perfectly pitched – slightly higher than the performer’s current level. The implications for task design here are obvious...In discussing ‘extrinsic’ vs ‘intrinsic’ motivation, Pink points out that there is often a trade-off; extrinsic factors may work best in the short-term, but in the long run intrinsic motivation is always the winner! (p. 79) Back to ELT, exam classes illustrate this perfectly: granted, both parents and students often clamour for more exam-oriented material as there is always a test round the corner, but in the long run this is disastrous (I have yet to meet students who do CPE tests for fun after getting their certificate...)Motivation leads to ‘autonomy’ and this is where things get really exciting! On p. 86 we are introduced to the concept of ROWE (‘Results-Only Work Environment’). The idea is simple: your employer does not care how or when you do something, so long as you deliver the goods! Now imagine ROSE instead! Imagine a school where classes are not compulsory, where students are more autonomous and they have to actually generate something as evidence of learning (rather than sit endless tests). This is not a dream; the IB model has taken many steps in that direction...Then on p. 93 we go one step further still! Atlasian is a software company where once a week employees can do anything they want!! At the end of the day, employees just show what they have come up with. Now, can you imagine a school where once a week you can work on any project you want? Imagine being paid to design your favourite activities, to incorporate novel IT-based task in the syllabus or prepare worksheets for ‘Comedy for ELT’ sketches? Sheer bliss! :-)

I don't read much at all - I was recommended to read this from my workplace, which embraces the vast majority of the philosophy outlined herein. I absolutely LOVE the culture where I work, so I took their advice and dove in to see how they ended up creating such a brilliant culture and work environment - I wasn't disappointed.The book walks you through various counter-intuitive insights into how people work depending on what their job is, and how to get the best out of them. It hammers home every point it makes with both scientific research studies, and case studies at well-known highly successful businesses where these methodologies have been thoroughly battle-tested.One thing I particularly enjoyed was the delivery - this book reminds you, and reinforces you of the points it is making. It seems to be have specifically written as an education tool, to help the reader really absorb the points it is making - I haven't read any of his other books yet, but I strongly suspect there is one in there about the best ways of learning; I feel like the writer knows exactly how to teach through written word.To top it all off, there is a tool-kit at the end which gives examples of how to practically apply or implement the various teachings of the text.This is simply a brilliant read, and I'd recommend it to anyone.

What motivates you? How can get more motivated?In this book by Dan Pink, he explains some of the myths and details scientific research as to what does motivate humansFrom what he calls the three elements, purpose, mastery, and autonomyAnd the difference between “carrots” and “sticks” and why sometimes it’s about mental attitudeThere are also a bunch of exercises at the back to test your new powers of motivationA great book to give you drive or find the drive you need

The florescent graphics on the cover were slightly suggestive to me that the substance of the book inside would be less impressive. Thankfully this proved to not be the case, as I found this book very interesting, well reasoned, and indeed quite inspiring in some places. Perhaps one of the nicest things about this book is that it is clear that the author has tremendous respect and passion for humanity at large. Sometimes books about how to motivate people turn out to be books about how to manipulate people, and so it is refreshing to read a volume where the author is not simply trying to push a get-what-you-want agenda. This book is not about how to motivate people so much as how to create an environment where people *are* motivated.The book is split into three sections, the first being the background and explanatory information about the subject. Here Pink explains how in his view the old trusted model of carrot/stick is somewhat counterproductive in today's modern and creative workplaces. Instead, he proposes that a more inherent desire exists within each of us, around subject areas such as mastery and autonomy. The core idea is that the notion that people have to be forced or bribed to produce their best work is false. The examples cited are slightly American in method, which isn't surprising considering that is where Pink is based, but apply in the most part to a UK audience too.The second part of the book presents a framework of various situations that the ideas can be applied to. This is not really a cohesive section, and each "chapter" is relatively independent from the last, however the author does explain that this is intentional. You read the chapters which are relevant to your situation, although I found reading them cover to cover equally enlightening.The last and smallest part is a small summary of the first part's content, intended as an aide mémoire. I liked this idea a lot, as it provides a simple and concise reference guide that can be used in the future without having to thumb and search the entire book. There are also a number of suggestions for further reading, which again proves that the author's agenda is truly to improve and better our lives rather than to simply push his own product.This is a small book, but one which packs a big punch, at least for me. I found several of its suggestions both inspiring and exciting, and I hope to implement a few of his strategies myself in the future. The writing style is relaxed and easy, neither patronising nor complex, and it was a pleasure to keep turning each page.I would recommend this book not only as a general read to those interested in business psychology and motivation, but also to any manager who feels burnt out and that their workplace needs a bit of a motivational facelift. You won't find many glib solutions, but you will find a detailed explanation of why what you are currently doing probably isn't working.

Great little book. Gave some really interesting insights which really challenge the traditional mindset of how to manage/lead. Has been really useful in the workplace to confront leaders as to how to develop and work with their team. Has helped change the dialogue in the organisation and has sparked conversations that would otherwise never have taken place. I think it will support our shift towards a different type of business. Some great suggestions of how to action the material meaning it has real applicability. Have recommended to many. Buy it.