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Category: Leadership

  • How to offer praise to trigger intrinsic motivation?

    The following 4 ways mentioned by Daniel Pink in his book Drive explain us how to offer praise in order to ensure that intrinsic motivation based behavior is triggered to encourage creativity and innovation at workplaces:

    1. Praise EFFORT , STRATEGY and NOT INTELLIGENCE
    2. Make PRAISE SPECIFIC
    3. PRAISE in PRIVATE
    4. Offer PRAISE only when there is a GOOD REASON for it

    Adopted from Daniel Pink’s book Drive

  • What does Atlassian mean by having a FedEx day?

    The software company Atlassian injects a BURST of AUTONOMY into its workplace by setting aside a day each quarter when employees can work on any project they choose , however they want with whomever they like.

    This is a masterclass in explaining how intrinsic motivation can help encourage innovation and creativity in modern day workplaces.

    This concept can be extended to schools as well as explained by Daniel Pink in his book Drive

  • Three Part “Type I” test applied to Homework

    This test essentially asks the following three questions that each teacher should ask oneself to ensure they are effectively nurturing the creative buds in students:

    1. Am I offering students the AUTONOMY over how and when they do the homework?
    2. Does the assignment promote MASTERY by offering a novel and engaging task?
    3. Do the students understand the PURPOSE of the ASSIGNMENT?

    Adopted from Daniel Pink’s book Drive

  • The DNA of a “intrinsically motivated” approach

    The key ingredients of a Type I driven intrinsically motivated approach to stimulate creativity and innovation in the modern day of the knowledge worker are as follows:

    1. Create an environment that makes people feel good about participating
    2. Give users requisite autonomy
    3. Keep the system as open as possible

    Adopted from Daniel Pink’s book Drive

  • What is meant by 20% of time on Training Wheels?

    By Twenty percent of time on Training Wheels , Daniel Pink in his book Drive means that companies like Google , Atlassian in the modern age of innovation and creativity encourage their employees to devote 20% of their total time to do something of their own in order to create a shippable product.

    This is the result because of which Google gave birth to Gmail and Google News and is regarded as a pre-requisite in the modern age of Motivation 3.0 where autonomy is a key ingredient to nurture mastery in modern day knowledge workers.

    Adopted from Daniel Pink’s book Drive

  • Why Type I behavior promotes greater physical and mental well being?

    Type I behavior or Intrinsically motivated behavior is about long term Oxytocin driven fulfillment.

    People who are intrinsically motivated think beyond short term addictive rewards , beyond the addictive shot of DOPAMINE to think about long term benefits to derive fulfillment.

    Hence as opposed to extrinsic motivation , Type I behavior based on intrinsic motivation is about long term and hence relates to greater physical and mental well being as against depression and anxiety so common when motivation is due to extrinsic rewards

    Adopted from Daniel Pink’s book Drive

  • How to replace the use of Motivation 2.0 for performing routine bound tasks?

    Motivation 2.0 a term coined by Daniel Pink in his book Drive is another name for Carrot and Stick or Reward/Punish way of motivating people to get results when the work is dreary , boring and mundane.

    Since in the modern day of creative and innovative work we need to move towards intrinsic motivation as the basis for motivational techniques for e.g. Motivation 3.0 hence Daniel Pink provides the following 3 options to be incorporated in any mundane work to get results while still being focused on Motivation 3.0 related principles.

    These 3 options to make routine bound work interesting are:

    1. Offer a RATIONALE why the routine task is necessary
    2. Acknowledge the fact that the TASK is BORING
    3. Allow people to complete the TASK their own WAY

    Adopted from Daniel Pink’s book Drive

  • Why extrinsic rewards are a source of depression?

    The Carrot and Stick method of motivation to stimulate desired behavior from individuals focuses on EXTRINSIC rewards to stimulate desired behavior.

    Rewards in such a case act as an addictive agent and activates reward seeking addictive behavior in individuals.The expectation of reward stimulates nucleus accumbens and makes us eager to perform the task in the expectation of rewards.This may even come at the cost of unethical behavior , narrow short term focus and other malpractices.

    But these rewards are in no means a source of fulfillment since the enjoyment is short lived and makes us long more such rewards.When the rewards are not received it leads to depression and flow of cortisol.

    Thus the way forward is intrinsic motivation driven motivation system that focuses on fulfillment as opposed to addictive rewards.

    Adopted from Daniel Pink’s book Drive

  • Understanding the science behind reward cues in casinos

    Casinos surround themselves with reward cues for e.g. inexpensive food , free liquor , surprise gifts , potential jackpot prizes etc. to act as reward cues in order to stimulate the Nucleus Accumbens in the human brain.

    The Dopamine or Addictive chemical that flows as a result stimulates risk seeking behavior in human beings to divert them from their risk averse nature.

    Adopted from Daniel Pink’s book Drive

  • The truth fMRI reveals about rewards

    fMRI or Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging reveals activation of Nucleus Accumbens and the flow of the “Addictive” chemical named “Dopamine” when extrinsic rewards are provided.

    The results are similar to addictive behavior produced as a result of consuming cocaine , alcohol or gambling.

    The downside of “rewards” due to addiction reveals an alarming truth that rewards can lead to both “risky choice” and “risk seeking mistakes”.

    The addictive feeling due to dopamine delights then dissipates and then demands another dose.This is never a long lasting feeling of fulfillment.

    Adopted from Daniel Pink’s book Drive