As I read of the paucity of loyalty in this crazy new workplace, the “gimme” attitude of employees and the lack of commitment that companies supposedly have to their workers, I am reminded of an extraordinarily practical book on this topic by Dan Pink. The name of this gem- DRIVE.
Here is my take on this impressive tome:
Subtitled “The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us,” I must confess that Dan did not “surprise” me at all. That is not to take anything away from his conclusions, however. Simply stated, “there’s a gap between what science knows and business does.” Recounting early research that demonstrated clearly that the “carrot and stick” approach actually causes more damage than good, Pink makes a strong case for the need for a Motivation 3.0, where the reward is the activity itself (Motivation 1.0 was all about survival, Motivation 2.0 used rewards and 
punishments). Motivation 3.0 aligns itself with Type I personalities (Intrinsic motivation, experiencing what Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls “flow”), while Motivation 2.0 feeds the Type X personality (concerned with External rewards). Pink describes the three key components of Motivation 3.0 with clarity and insight, providing practical examples throughout the book. They are 1)Autonomy (in task, time, team and technique), 2) Mastery (a mindset, a continuous opportunity to learn and improve), and 3) Purpose (in goals, words and policies).
Ever the practical author, Pink completes this excellent book with suggested activities to achieve Type I for individuals, organizations, compensation and parents/teachers. The book closes with a reading list, examples of six business leaders who “get it,” a recap of his book (even in 140 character “twitterese”) and a glossary of the terms used in his espousal of Motivation 3.O, The reader is even introduced to a site to measure Type I or Type X behavior.
A truly exceptional book with extraordinary insights on what constitutes true motivation.
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