Motivation is based on drives: biological, reward + punishment, and purpose. For the most part, the nature of our work and tasks have changed significantly from the nineteenth to twentieth to twenty-first centuries. Have motivators kept up?
Daniel Pink is the author of four provocative books about changing the world of work including the New York Times best sellers, A Whole New Mind and Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us. During Dan’s first guest appearance on the podcast, we discussed a changing work world and the new rules of work in an outsourced, automated age.
In this interview, we discuss motivation, drive, the outdated motivational methods still used by many, and new motivational methods that are more appropriate for today.
The old school belief of paying people more and more money to achieve better results is actually a detriment. Goals can narrow focus. So how do we promote enduring motivation?
We can emphasize autonomy, mastery, and purpose to motivate people, employees, kids, and volunteers. Dan’s work and books mainly concentrate on the workplace, but he and I expand his ideas and think about how they can also work in the family and in other relationships. We also discuss effective techniques for giving authentic feedback in a feedback-rich world.
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WHAT YOU WILL DISCOVER
- Three different types of motivation: Biological, reward + punishment, purpose driven
- When money + rewards work as motivational tools and when they don’t
- How to promote enduring motivation
- The difference between performance goals and learning goals
- Why feedback is important and how to give the right kind of feedback
- Advice about putting small techniques into practice