Book Byte #209 "Drive" by Daniel Pink

The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

📣 Curious Quotes from the Author

“Greatness and nearsightedness are incompatible. Meaningful achievement depends on lifting one's sights and pushing toward the horizon.”

“The ultimate freedom for creative groups is the freedom to experiment with new ideas. Some skeptics insist that innovation is expensive. In the long run, innovation is cheap. Mediocrity is expensive—and autonomy can be the antidote.”   TOM KELLEY General Manager, IDEO”

“Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve more and live richer lives.”

“People can have two different mindsets, she says. Those with a “fixed mindset” believe that their talents and abilities are carved in stone. Those with a “growth mindset” believe that their talents and abilities can be developed. Fixed mindsets see every encounter as a test of their worthiness. Growth mindsets see the same encounters as opportunities to improve.”

“The monkeys solved the puzzle simply because they found it gratifying to solve puzzles. They enjoyed it. The joy of the task was its own reward.”

“As Carol Dweck says, “Effort is one of the things that gives meaning to life. Effort means you care about something, that something is important to you and you are willing to work for it. It would be an impoverished existence if you were not willing to value things and commit yourself to working toward them.”

“we have three innate psychological needs—competence, autonomy, and relatedness. When those needs are satisfied, we’re motivated, productive, and happy.”

“The problem with making an extrinsic reward the only destination that matters is that some people will choose the quickest route there, even if it means taking the low road. Indeed, most of the scandals and misbehavior that have seemed endemic to modern life involve shortcuts.”

“children who are praised for “being smart” often believe that every encounter is a test of whether they really are. So to avoid looking dumb, they resist new challenges and choose the easiest path. By contrast, kids who understand that effort and hard work lead to mastery and growth are more willing to take on new, difficult tasks.”

“When the reward is the activity itself--deepening learning, delighting customers, doing one's best--there are no shortcuts.”

“Newtonian physics runs into problems at the subatomic level. Down there--in the land of hadrons, quarks, and Schrödinger's cat--things get freaky. The cool rationality of Isaac Newton gives way to the bizarre unpredictability of Lewis Carroll.”

“Goals that people set for themselves and that are devoted to attaining mastery are usually healthy. But goals imposed by others--sales targets, quarterly returns, standardized test scores, and so on--can sometimes have dangerous side effects.”

“Management isn’t about walking around and seeing if people are in their offices,” he told me. It’s about creating conditions for people to do their best work.”

“Living a satisfying life requires more than simply meeting the demands of those in control. Yet in our offices and our classrooms we have way too much compliance and way too little engagement. The former might get you through the day, but the latter will get you through the night.”

“For artists, scientists, inventors, schoolchildren, and the rest of us, intrinsic motivation—the drive do something because it is interesting, challenging, and absorbing—is essential for high levels of creativity.”

📚 Cognition of the Book’s Big Idea

When creative employees are intrinsically motivated, they are most productive, and high productivity is advantageous to the entire business. How then can you use this Blink to revolutionize your own business? These three concepts are offered.

First, consider if you regularly provide your colleagues with helpful criticism. Although it may seem insignificant, giving someone unexpected praise can have a profound effect on their day. Employees' intrinsic motivation is increased when they receive praise because it focuses their attention on how much they like their work.

Second, emphasize the significance of each person's contribution to the overall operation of the business. Everyone should sincerely believe that the things they do matter.

And lastly, you may recall our earlier discussion of the "drive for perfection." Each worker should be assigned a task that is stimulating and challenging them, but not overly difficult, to ensure that this urge is met. Since it's the only way to achieve a true flow state, which unites enjoyment with productivity.

🤝Collaborative Insight for Techies

Motivation can be broken down into just two types, Intrinsic and Extrinsic. It’s both you internal and external motivations that determine what you will do in this life.

You can’t control much with external motivators except try and be in a place where they are more than likely to happen, but we can chose a growth mindset and help our internal motivation guide us to our best selves.

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Try out the "Think and Grow Rich Challenge" by Russell Brunson and Learn more about the First Self Help Author Napoleon Hill

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