Pile On Motivation

Join 21K other subscribers

Category: Marketing

  • Conducting an “Autonomy Audit” to get the best out of people

    The best and most innovative organizations wherein a lot of stress is on doing “Right Brain” oriented work , giving more autonomy to the people goes a long way in intrinsically motivating the people.

    The essential questions that form part of an “Autonomy Audit” are as follows:

    1. How much AUTONOMY does an employee have over TASKS at WORK
    2. How much AUTONOMY does an employee have over TIME at WORK
    3. How much AUTONOMY does an employee have over his/her TEAM at WORK
    4. How much AUTONOMY does an employee have over TECHNIQUE at WORK.

    Adopted from Daniel Pink’s book Drive

  • Motivation 3.0 unleashes our natural abilities

    Motivation 3.0 the new age motivational operating system , a term coined by Daniel Pink in his book Drive is driven by nurturing intrinsic motivation in human beings.

    The new age motivational operating system focuses on engagement and learning goals as opposed to compliance and performance goals needed by the carrot and stick method adopted during the industrial age(Motivation 2.0)

    Human beings are inherently scared by compliance and this turns off our creative natural instinct.As a result adopting Motivation 3.0 principles in the modern day of the knowledge worker , where heuristics matter over banal algorithms , taking this route is sure to guarantee success.

  • Why behavioral physics fails to explain prominence of Open Source Software?

    During the Industrial Revolution Era , “Carrot & Stick” technique grew in prominence and produced remarkable results.

    The rational principle was to reward people for doing the routine bound work efficiently and this reward in turn resulted in increasing efficiency.

    On the flip side , punishing people for being inefficient resulted in improvement of efficiency.

    This is in line with behavioral physics as well….

    In the modern knowledge worker age , Open source software has grown in prominence.Be it Apache , Github , Linux , Wikipedia all these are examples where intrinsically motivated group of programmers have collaborated just for the sole reason of prosperity and benefit of their fraternity without expecting anything in return.

    This is thus totally not explainable by behavioral physics and thus proves that adopting Carrot and Stick approach in the modern knowledge worker age can lead to detrimental results.

    Adopted from Daniel Pink’s book Drive.

  • This analogy between “Motivation” and Computer “Operating System” is fascinating

    Daniel Pink’s book drive is a masterclass when it comes to explanation of concepts around human Motivation.

    Like a computer operating system needs upgrade over time to safeguard against vulnerabilities and security threats , similarly “Motivational Methods” need to be upgraded over time to give desired results.

    For e.g. During Caveman times the need was to stay safe from more powerful wild animals and hence safety acted as the Motivational mantra.

    In the Industrial Revolution era , the Motivational methodology needed an upgrade to the “Reward & Punishment” or “Carrot & Stick” method to get the best out of factory workers indulged in mundane routine bound work.

    Along similar lines again in the era of Knowledge worker or in the Conceptual age the “Motivational methodology” needs another upgrade to place more emphasis on intrinsic motivation by giving more autonomy to the knowledge worker.

    The analogy is truly fascinating.

  • Key insight on application of “Carrot and Stick” method

    Daniel Pink’s book Drive provides some key insights on the flaws related to the “Carrot and Stick” method which has been so successfully adopted in the Industrial Era.

    When applied to left brain oriented work for e.g. development of algorithm or mundane routine bound work done in a factory shop floor this method gives great results.

    But when applied in the modern Knowledge Worker Conceptual age where heuristics and Right Brain thinking matter , adoption of this method can lead to very detrimental effects by killing intrinsic motivation.

    Having understood this would help us adopt this approach with caution on a case to case basis.

  • Seven Deadly Flaws of ‘Carrot & Stick” Method

    The seven deadly flaws of the “Carrot and Stick” method are:

    1. They can extinguish INTRINSIC MOTIVATION
    2. They can DIMINISH PERFORMANCE
    3. They can CRUSH CREATIVITY
    4. They can crowd out GOOD BEHAVIOR
    5. They can encourage cheating , shortcuts and unethical behavior
    6. They can become addictive
    7. They can foster short term thinking

    Adopted from the book “Drive” by Daniel Pink

  • Alone is depressing , together is better

    The following quote from Simon Sinek highlights the fact that when alone we are weak but when we shed egos and reach out for help we can do remarkable things together.

    “To OVERCOME our CHALLENGES all that is required is the COURAGE to ASK for HELP.”

  • Leadership is not for everyone

    The following quote of Simon Sinek aptly highlights the fact that a LEADER is not one because of rank or position.Leadership has to be earned from followers.

    “A LEADER without a TITLE is BETTER than a title WITHOUT the ability to LEAD.”

  • What does “Stockdale Paradox” teach us?

    The Stockdale Paradox is stated as follows:

    “Retain faith that you will prevail in the end , regardless of the difficulties

    AND

    At the same time confront the most brutal facts of your CURRENT REALITY , whatever they might be.”

    A great organization or an individual realizes that there would not be good times always.Sometimes the tide will be rough and sometimes smooth.

    It is when the tide is rough , the “never say die” attitude prevails in the end and truly separates great individuals and organizations from the rest.

    The Stockdale Paradox teaches us to be tenacious to tide through the rough times.

    Adopted from Jim Collins’s book Good to Great

  • The DNA of “Optimism”

    Adopted from Simon Sinek’s great quotes

    “Optimism is the ability to FOCUS on where we are going , NOT where we are coming from.”