Find Your Drive

I began writing this post today with the intention of writing a book review on Drive by Daniel Pink. It was going to be pretty standard. I would write a short summary on the book, mention some of the main theories, and give my opinion on whether I recommend it for others. However, in my preparation it has become more than that. It has become something that I think would make Daniel Pink very proud.

You see, Drive is all about motivation. Are people motivated by extrinsic rewards, such as money? Or are people motivated by intrinsic rewards, such as being able to work on something that will stretch creativity? I started this piece motivated by extrinsic rewards: it is part of my job to write and in writing I get to keep my job (okay, I wouldn’t lose my job if I didn’t write, but I would probably get a stern look). Pink argues that this type of motivation actually hinders productivity and quality of work, because it becomes less about the task and more about the “carrot and the stick.”

Today during my preparation, I began asking my co-workers what they thought of the book. We each read Drive with the intention of applying its theories to what we do here at Monar. Think of it as a business book club. Each comment brought a new layer of the book to light for me that I hadn’t focused on before.

Christy really enjoyed how Pink built upon his ideas by bringing in the history of varying theories of motivation. The idea that adding monetary value to a task takes away from its personal value really resonated with Danielle. Maggie felt that allowing employees to take 20% of their time for personal projects is a very easy and practical way to increase intrinsic motivation. Marie appreciated the inclusion of employee engagement and the subtle humor in Pink’s writing. We were divided on Pink’s use (or overuse, depending on who was talking) of computer references. Between the five of us, our opinions were flying back and forth–and I loved it!

Soon, my motivation to write this blog moved from extrinsic to intrinsic. I wasn’t writing because I had to, but because I was enjoying listening to everyone’s point of view. I wanted to share these views with you, our readers, so that you can read not just my opinion, but also our collective opinions. If you have read the book as well, I encourage you to comment and add your opinions. My intrinsic motivation is the fun I have discussing and debating different theories and ideas and wanting to share them with others. According to Pink, this intrinsic desire should make this post better and more creative than my others. I guess you can go back to my other posts and judge for yourself…

Question: Has anyone read Drive? What are your opinions/likes/dislikes?