Dan Pink has amazing stage presence, his TED Talk proved exactly the type of person he is and how he wants others to view him. He started out by telling a little story about how he went to law school but never practiced the law; periodically, he would refer to his lawyer side and, generally, live up to the stereotype of what a lawyer is scene as. He was humorous when it was called for, but also blunt and succinct when needed. Pink repeated the key details frequently to help them stick in the viewers mind and keep them from getting lost; at times he even used a screen to flash up quotes, so the viewer could both see and hear what Pink was saying. He effectively covered his topic, covering both broad and more intricate details through small side stories and details.
According to Dan Pink, society needs to rethink how businesses are run; what scientists know and how businesses are run do not match up. They use methods that are based on outdated assumptions; it has been proven that rewards, or carrots and sticks, do not increase productivity for all tasks, but actually dull thought processes and restrict creativity. Pink says that it works for some cases, but not all. He details a scenario in which this principle is extremely true; it is called "The Candle Problem." Those given an incentive narrow their thinking and are so focused on getting the task done, do not think of all the possibilities; however, those not given a chance for a reward are able to think more broadly. Pink believes that those rewarded for their work decrease in productivity and quality, and this concept is supported by scientific studies across the globe. These extrinsically motivated people are easily replaced and less efficient, but the intrinsically motivated are harder to replace and much more efficient. Results-Only Work Environments (ROWE), Atlassian FedEx Days, and Wikipedia provide more than enough evidence for this statement. ROWE workers have no schedules; all that matters is that the work gets done; FedEx Days allow 24 hours for workers to create something new to then share with their co-workers; Wikipedia was created for fun and is now the most successful online encyclopedia. All of these work forces were based on the intrinsic motivation of their workers and have been proven to be more productive than companies using extrinsic motivation.
In relation to the world, productivity clearly would increase and both goods and information would be easier to access for all people if business transitioned from extrinsic rewards to intrinsic motivation. The increase in access will lead to growth in knowledge and abilities, causing even more abundance as described in A Whole New Mind. Pink even says in his TED Talk, rewards work for some tasks, but not all. The tasks that work with rewards are more mechanical and can easily be replaced by machines or outsourced to other countries. An increase in intrinsic motivation would make it more difficult for one's job to be outsourced or taken over by a machine. This "new" motivation is something that needs to be practiced in all stages of life, not just adulthood centered mainly at work; educators need to focus more on what motivates their students than penalizing or rewarding them. In some cases, grades are a label for a person, and they get stuck in a rut believing that their grades show their intelligence. As I said in a previous post, grading has to do with how well a student can mimic what the teacher has set forth. They have no reason to go beyond what the teacher has told them because an "A" is an "A." These students are not motivated from within, they simply will do whatever they must do to get by; but if this changed, those who are truly driven from within would create magnificent works. Teachers need their students to want to succeed for themselves before they can swoop in and stamp a grade on their work. As a student, I would like to have straight A's; it is hard to explain why exactly I want this, seeing that I realize the downfall of grade. To tell the truth, I do not know why I want this, but I know I do. I do not want this because I will be rewarded by my parents or friends or school, but I want it for the unmitigated pleasure from knowing that I can do it. I push my limits both academically and physically because I know my potential and I know I can be better. I push myself, and in the end, I create something to be proud of; it is not important that it is going to be an "A" in the teachers eyes, but that I did my best and feel confident in my work. The grade is to be regarded as a side factor, not the main reason for doing something, and I believe that strongly.
Dan Pink says that what scientists know and how businesses are run do not match up; intrinsic motivation is key to the future and the present. The world must adjust to this fact, or suffer the crash of an outdated system.
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