Drive vs. Driven …

… there is a big difference between these two words, especially as it relates to motivation.  This is described in detail in Daniel Pink’s new book by that same title, Drive.  Pink presents anecdotal evidence that in the past motivation was created through ‘carrots and sticks’,… rewarding activities you want to see more of and punishing those you want less of (managers drive the behaviors they want).  So what motivates workers today…?  It’s inherent in the satisfaction one has with the activity itself says Pink; the challenge the activity presents and the purpose behind its intent (employees are driven to do more).  True for all workers…?  I would say ‘yes’ to a greater or lesser extent based on the type of worker.  As is true of ‘carrots and sticks’, depending on the worker in question.

One size clearly does not fit all,… when it comes to motivation.  It just so happens that while I was reviewing Drive, I was reading a second and equally good book titled Clever by Rob Goffee & Gareth Jones.  It does an excellent job of defining the type of person (a clever) which responds to the intrinsic rewards which Daniel Pink describes.  And how to lead these types,… which I plan to talk more about at a later time.  Goffee & Jones describe clever workers as “highly talented individuals with the potential to create disproportionate amounts of value from the resources that the organization makes available to them.”  Note the catalyst in this definition – the resources the organization makes available.

All three authors talk to the importance of creating the proper ‘environment’ for great work to flourish.  Whether it be the freedom to do what interests them,… the challenge of working on larger than life problems,… the physical setting (spatial considerations) and technological tools (informational considerations) to support their process of design thinking/ideation,… or the opportunity  to work with other clevers (social considerations) inside the company, or more importantly outside the company.  These all matter,… and will determine just how much one leverages the potential of your best employees.  More or Less…?