Tuesday 14 February 2012

Motivation: Money is not enough

Just watched a YouTube video covering a Dan Pink talk on motivation.

Surprising findings - or are they really !

In a nut shell:
  • Money motivates for physical tasks
  • Money does not motivate and more money is in fact counterproductive where cognitive functions are required.
Provided salary is sufficient (so no longer an issue) motivation comes from:
  1. Autonomy / self-direction
  2. Mastery of activities,becoming expert etc
  3. Purpose, such as making a difference in the world!
Hence why Wikipedia, Linux etc succeed.

Further when profit maximisation and purpose maximisation align, companies succeed e.g. Apple, and when they decouple sub-optimal or even inappropriate outcomes result.  I leave the reader to consider an example of the latter!

Aligns with what I have always believed - run a great business delivering what people need and doing good, and profit will follow as just reward.




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