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Science of human motivations
Posted by czauner on Sep 4, 2009 in The Net
Dan Pink gives a talk on the surprising science of motivation. By reviewing some scientific experiments in the field human motivations Pink brings up several facts:
- Rewards often narrow and restrict our focus.
- Extrinsic Incentive blocks creativity
- Financial incentives can result in a negative impact on overall performance.
But I suggest to watch the video:
Basically the talk is about the mismatch between what science knows and what business does.
Pink suggests not to do more of the wrong things, i.e. focus on intrinsic motivation: autonomy, mastery & purpose. As most radical example he states that employees may work when they want, where they want, how they want.
- Extrinsic motivation is sooo 20th century
- The “If…then”-rewards often destroy creativity
- The secret to high performance isn’t rewards & punishments
Sounds nice but isn’t it utopia?
The talk is originally published on ted.com, where you also find some comments worth reading.
