Drive discussion

Drive: The Surprising Truth about what Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink


Vega Summary: Motivation is not intuitive in the old fashioned sense. Carrot and stick only works so far. Behavior is often hampered by ‘known rewards’ or ‘expected rewards.’ Deliberately tapping into intrinsic motivation can develop mastery, life satisfaction, and at a minimum, prevent poor results from old methods.

Carrot and Stick Doesn’t Work (most of the time): Rewards narrow focus. High reward dampen results more than medium and low rewards. Commissioned art is less creative than non-commissioned art. It creates short-term thinking and lessens our depth.

Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic Motivation:

1. Autonomy- over a. time b. task c. technique d. team.
2. Mastery- The 3 Laws of Mastery: Mindset, “fixed vs. growth” mindset. Mastery is a pain, effort gives meaning to life. It’s an asymptote-you never really get there.
3. Purpose- Motivation 3.0 combines the first 2 with a goal greater than themselves.

Flow: Give yourself a “flow” test by periodically setting a timer and writing down what you’re doing.

Ask big questions about your purpose. Make it one sentence. Then ask little questions. Am I better now than I was yesterday? Practice, practice, practice. Deliberate practice. What gets you up in the morning? Create a motivational poster.
Ask questions. Use “we” pronouns. Don’t pit people against each other. Share a purpose.

Use metrics that are hard to game. Don’t combine allowance and chores. Praise effort and strategy, not intelligence. Help kids see the big picture. Why am I learning this?