In his new volume, popular author Dan Pink surpasses most books about motivation and incentive management by actually paring it down to actual science. According to Pink the same sticks-and-carrots that can effectively coax a production line to a record output can be a poison pill for conjuring creative solutions from your problem-solving team.
What’s Hot
Pink is certainly known as one of the better writers in the field and Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us is a pleasure to read. The wide-ranging material also makes this a great book for anyone interested in the psychology of creative motivation – not just managers!
What’s Not
Pink’s book is almost too ambitious. While the scientific information he includes provides strong arguments for his thesis, some of his examples might be too complex – or too clinical – for some business readers to follow or engage fully with.
The Bottom Line
Pink is suggesting that most business owners and managers are in desperate need of an operating system upgrade when it comes to the way they motivate their creative teams. His well-argued position is that contemporary, creative professionals are not prompted by traditional rewards and punishments. In fact, Pink suggests that these methods may actually hinder creativity. Drive’ argues that autonomy, purpose and authorship are much more effective incentives for professionals who want to feel that their contributions are crucial, unique and appreciated.
Again, Pink is one of the better writers in the field and it pays to coax the most out of every page of Drive. Instead of being a throw-away, the book’s introduction serves as a crystal-clear outline of Pink’s central ideas. Even the table of contents features fleshed-out blurbs that highlight the ideas that are explored in each chapter. This is especially convenient after the first read-through when this level of organization transforms Drive into a handy go-to guide that one can use for a quick reference.
As the title would suggest, Drive is a forward-looking book that presents a number of ideas that intrinsically challenge the way most managers and owners do business. The revelations found in the book immediately make sense to anyone who has tried to coax creative solutions with clumsy traditional methods. The real mystery in Pink’s tome is the fact that these outmoded methods continue to be used despite the fact that they are clearly not effective.
Whether you are a business owner, a team leader, a manager or an entrepreneur, Drive offers many interesting stops along the way.
Jump in and take the ride!
