What Motivates Us Book Report

Synopsis of the Book

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us is a profound book written by Daniel H. Pink about what motivates individuals. He takes us through the history of human motivation. Pink explains how human motivation has gone from survival to the carrot dangling in front of the stick.

These approaches are still used today. He explains that why the carrot and stick approach is outdated and explains only a third of the driving force that motivates people. This book talks about how to motivate ourselves and others. Pink goes on to explain why the third driving force, intrinsic motivation, is the best and how to use intrinsic motivation to drive others to perform to the maximum potential.

What actually motivates

individuals? Do we all have different things that motivate us to perform to optimal performance? Is motivation the same for all? Most people believe the best motivation is being rewarded or receiving a consequence. Extrinsic motivation has been used for years and is still being used today. The results have been good, but is there a better driving force for motivation? Pink enlightens his audience that all individuals have the operating system that leads one to behave in a particular way. Pink elaborates on three operating systems that drive people’s motivation: Motivation 1.0, Motivation 2.0, and Motivation 3.0 (Pink, 2009). He also describes Type I and Type X individuals. Type I individuals are motivated by intrinsic motivation while intrinsic motivation is driven by personal rewards. It is self satisfaction that arises from within one’s self that is naturally satisfying. One accomplishes a task due to the fact they are interested or want to know more about the task. Type X individuals are motivated by

extrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation is to earn a reward or to avoid a punishment. An example of extrinsic motivation is if one reads a book for a class in order to not receive a bad grade, then they are acting on extrinsic motivation. He points out that extrinsic motivation leads to less of the desired behavior once the reward has been removed. Pink goes on to explain that extrinsic motivation may win over intrinsic short term, but long term success is driven by intrinsic motivation. Further in the book, he emphasizes autonomy, mastery, and purpose that creates intrinsic motivation which is what really drives an individual to perform. Pink discusses what it takes to motivate business leaders, workers, students, parents, and children. Throughout the book he gives different scenarios of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation. He explains that intrinsic motivation is instilled at birth, but extrinsic motivation is a learned behavior.
Summary of the Book
Prior to chapter one in Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, the book begins with an introduction of two different experiments conducted by two different scientists. The first scientist was Harry F. Harlow and the second scientist was Edward Deci. What both scientist found was very interesting. Their experiments should have changed the process on what drives people, but it did not.
Harry F. Harlow was a psychology instructor at the University of Wisconsin. In 1949, Harlow and two others did a two-week study on how eight rhesus monkeys obtained learning. Harlow knew that individuals were driven by two main drives: biological and extrinsic motivation. Harlow and his two cohorts designed a simple mechanical puzzle that was easily solved by humans, but would it be for monkeys? In order for one to solve the mechanical

puzzle, they must pull out the vertical pin, undo the hook, and lift the hinge over the cover. The monkeys and puzzles were placed in a cages and observations of the monkeys took place. The monkeys did not need to solve the puzzles for survival nor did the monkeys receive any rewards or punishments for their work. Surprisingly, almost immediately, the monkeys began trying to solve the puzzle with focus and determination. The monkeys appeared to be solving the puzzle with enjoyment and without any extrinsic motivation. By the end of the experiment, the monkeys were solving the puzzles often and quickly. The monkeys were capable of solving the puzzles without any direction from anyone. The monkeys did not receive any motivation of food or affection. They had to be solving the puzzles on intrinsic reward. The monkeys appeared to be enjoying solving the puzzle for pure enjoyment.
Prior to the monkey puzzle solving experiment, Harlow and his two cohorts believed there were two main drives that power human and animal behavior: biological, rewards/punishments for behaving in a particular manner. However, this experiment proved both of these theories false due to the fact the monkeys did not receive food, water, or sex for gratification. Nor did the monkeys receive any extrinsic incentives. This led Harlow to create a third drive: an intrinsic drive which is to achieve internal satisfaction. The monkeys received an intrinsic reward due to the fact they received gratification simply by solving the puzzles. From this study, Harlow felt that maybe the theory of what motivates humans was incomplete (Pink, 2009).
Twenty years later, psychologist Edward Deci followed up on Harlow’s studies on intrinsic motivation. Deci conducted several experiments that found students lost intrinsic

interest when money was an extrinsic reward. This actually proved that when extrinsic rewards are offered, it can motivate an individual for a short while, but they eventually lose their drive. Deci’s experiments showed that extrinsic rewards can actually reduce a person’s longer-term motivation to continue a task. Deci and his cohort Richard Ryan eventually studied differentiating between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. They came up with a Self-Determination Theory. They proposed three main intrinsic needs for self-determination. They are as follows: competence, autonomy, and psychological relatedness (Pink, 2009).
The first biological need of the SDT is competence. Competence is the desire to control and master the environment and the outcome of situations. Competence is a biological need to know how something is going to turn out. It is also knowing the consequences of our actions. The second biological need of the SDT is relatedness. Relatedness is the need to be connected to others. Our daily lives involve interacting, connecting, and caring for other people. It is also the feeling of belongingness. The third biological need is autonomy. Autonomy does not mean being independent, but having free will. It involves things we are interested in and things that we value.
In chapter one, Pink explains the rise and fall of motivation 2.0. Initially, humans were driven by (Motivation 1.0) which is survival mode. Motivation 1.0 is the basic motivation that all individuals have. Later, scientists learned that (Motivation 2.0) which is about one receiving external rewards and punishments. Pink calls this the “carrots and sticks” (Pink, 2009). In the book, Pink gives different scenarios of how “carrots and sticks” do not enhance effort or productivity. Studies were conducted where one group was bribed with a reward(s) for their

effort/work did not put forth the amount of effort or work compared to the group that was not offered an extrinsic reward.

In most of the studies conducted, it was almost always true that the group that did not receive an extrinsic reward out performed the group that was bribed with an extrinsic reward. However, in most studies the group that was offered an extrinsic reward initially outperformed the group that was not offered an extrinsic reward. But, when it came to longevity performance, the group that was not bribed with an extrinsic reward almost always performed better. These experiments show that individuals perform better on intrinsic reward versus extrinsic reward. For example, in chapter one people were interviewed on which of two encyclopedias they felt would be more successful. One group will be funded by Microsoft that has paid professional employees. The second group is not owned by a company and does not pay writers and editors. There writers and editors only do it for fun, simply because they enjoy writing. Keep in mind this was a fictional year of 1995. Most would say extrinsic rewards would win over intrinsic rewards, but once again the encyclopedia Microsoft versus Wikipedia proved this theory wrong. In 2009 Microsoft discontinued its 16 year online encyclopedia. On the flipside just after 8 years of being published, Wikipedia became the largest and most used encyclopedia in the world. On October 31, 2009, Microsoft pulled the plug on MSN

Encarta, its disc and online encyclopedia, which had been on the market for sixteen years. Meanwhile, Wikipedia—that second model—ended up becoming the largest and most popular encyclopedia in the world. The view of human motivation was hard to explain with these results.
With the results of the above experiments, it was discovered that there was a third operating system. This operating system was Motivation 3.0. Initially people believed

individuals did better when rewards and punishments were given. However, the subjects in the study performed much better when they did useful and fulfilling work. Scientists determined that Motivation 3.0 was driven by intrinsic motivation. Motivation 3.0 is proven numerous times when the non-reward group outperformed the reward group. People with intrinsic motivation perform for self satisfaction of completing a task, not because they might be rewarded for the task (Pink, 2009).
Pink does say that carrots and sticks are not all bad. Motivation 2.0 was the mindset for drive and it worked for a long while. He says that when it comes to a job’s baseline rewards such as wages, salaries, benefits, etc. these must all be within reason. Without this any type of motivation is often difficult. However, if there is a good established baseline at times it may be okay to use extrinsic motivation.
Pink give a flow chart of when to use rewards. If the task is mostly routine, then try to make it less routine and connect it to a larger purpose. If it is difficult to accomplish this, then use rewards. First, you must offer a rationale for why the task is necessary. Second, acknowledge that the task is indeed boring. Third, allow individuals to complete the task their way. If the task is not mostly routine or one cannot increase the task’s challenge, make it less routine or connect it to a larger purpose. Fair compensation rewards are okay, but make sure to avoid “if-then” rewards and make sure that it fosters autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Instead of “if-then rewards, use “ now that “ rewards. Ensure praise and feedback is used and useful information is used rather than control (Pink, 2009).

Pink goes on to explain how Motivation 2.0 depended on Type X behavior. Type X behavior is driven by extrinsic motivation. These individuals are driven not by self-satisfaction, but by external rewards. Type I people were not as driven by Motivation 2.0. Type I behavior is driven more by intrinsic motivation rather than extrinsic motivation. Type I individuals desire the internal, self satisfaction rather than external rewards. They are powered to direct their own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by themselves and the world. Pink believes that to be more productive and motivated we must move from Type X to Type I.
There is not any individual that is totally Type X or Type I. Each person is mainly driven by one of the two. Type I individuals almost always outdo Type X individuals long term. However, in short term it is not always true that Type I individuals will outperform Type X individuals. Individuals are born with Type I behavior. It is the natural state for most people. Type X behavior is a learned behavior through exposure and experiences. The neat thing is, even when people learn Type X behavior, they can always change it to Type I. They can unlearn Type X behavior. Any Type X can convert back to a Type I. Keep in mind both Type X and Type I care about money and want recognition as long as their compensation is equitable. If the baseline compensation is not equitable, then their motivation will diminish. Type I behaviors are not going to turn down a pay raise or not accept compensation, but this does not mean money is the ultimate goal as it is for Type X behaviors (Pink, 2009).
Motivation 3.0 and Type I people have three elements that are crucial to their success: Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose. Pink believes that our “default setting” is autonomy. Autonomy is not necessarily being independent, but having free will to make your own choices.

When one is allowed to be self directed then one will work better.

There are a few companies that have gone to a results only work environment. Results only companies set goals for their employees, but these employees have the freedom to reach those goals using their own ideas and beliefs. Type I behaviors are prominent when one is given autonomy on how they will complete a task. The second element is mastery. Individuals, whether they are students or employees, must be engaged in an activity to obtain mastery. When people are engaged, they are completely into the work they are performing. Flow is essential to mastery, but does not guarantee mastery. Mastery abides by three laws: Mastery is a mindset, Mastery is Pain, and Mastery is an Asymptote. The first law is Mastery is a mindset. Carol Dweck says that what people believe shapes what people achieve. Our “self -theories” determine how we perceive what we have been exposed to and can determine what we accomplish. The second law is Mastery is Pain. A lot of times mastery is not fun and cannot be obtained without pain. To accomplish mastery it often requires a lot of work and effort. Pink uses an example in the book about army officers-in-training. Cadets that dropped out of the army could not endure the pain that took place with training. The pain physically and mentally tore them down to the point of dropping out. The third law of mastery is Asymptote. Asymptote is a straight line that a curve

approaches but never really reaches. In other words, mastery is untouchable. You can work really hard for a long time and get really, really close to it, but one never quite gets there. Regardless of whether we ever reach mastery or not, it is the challenge that is worth the effort (Pink, 2009).
The last element of the Motivation 3.0 operating system is purpose. Purpose is something all humans need regardless of age, gender, race, etc. Everyone wants to make

contributions to the world. It is the need to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. As humans, we are wired to want to help other people. If one takes a moment to look, they will see that this is visible throughout some businesses. Some companies are putting purpose equal with profits. TOMS is one company that displays this. With every pair of TOMS purchased, a pair of shoes is donated to children in developing countries. TOMS describes itself as “a for profit company with giving at its core.” (Pink, 2009). Businesses like TOMS is focusing on purpose. They are making connections with the world. They are receiving intrinsic motivation and trying to make a difference in the world. When individuals are seeking extrinsic rewards and not making connections with other individuals, they often become anxious and depressed simply because they are missing out on building relationships and achieving purpose (Pink, 2009).
Relevance to Education
Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us is a book that is great for leaders, parents, teachers, and students to read. Understanding the driving force that motivates an individual is important. This book is relevant to me as an individual, wife, mother, daughter, school counselor, and future administrator.
As an individual, I must ask myself if my intrinsic motivation is dominant over my extrinsic motivation. If it is not, I need to rethink my motivation and work more back to an intrinsic motivation. What is it that drives me as an individual? What are my interest? What is the self-satisfaction that I gain from accomplishing tasks? As a wife, I need to be aware when I am trying to motivate my husband with extrinsic motivation. I need to keep in mind that extrinsic motivation may work for a short period, but is not very effective for long term tasks.

The same idea applies to my children. I need to remind myself of what their interests are and also help them find new interest in order to promote their motivation toward a goal. I should keep in mind that rewarding them for a certain behavior or task is only going to give short term results. As a mother, I can see where it would be a great thing to model Motivation 3.0 for our children. Children would be more independent and be able to be more creative. When autonomy is used, it allows them to be more successful and to take on more risks versus when autonomy is not used. When I have certain expectations or tasks for them to complete, I need to give them ample time to reach the task(s)/goal(s) and not place any stipulations on those task(s)/goal(s). Rather, I should allow them to succeed using autonomy, mastery, and purpose. In addition, I need to sit both my children down and explain the importance of autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Autonomy and purpose should be easy for them to understand, but mastery will need a more in depth explanation. Mastery will be a little harder for them to understand since no one ever completely master’s anything.
As a teacher, understanding what motivates students to their maximum potential is a powerful tool. Teachers can use and explain the different types of motivation and how they work to their students. In order to move to the Motivation 3.0 classroom, teachers will need to give up a lot of their control. This will be difficult for some teachers since extrinsic motivation has been used for quite a while. However, it would be worth it to get students to be engaged and succeed at a much higher level. Some teachers may have to revert to the natural state of intrinsic motivation as they may be in an extrinsic motivation state as well.

This is relevant to me as a future administrator in developing a Motivation 3.0 school. To some administrators this would be difficult if they are a type X person. If this were the case, they would need to work on giving up their control. Pink gives advice to these Type X bosses. He says that in order to give up control one must involve their employees in goal-setting, use non controlling language with their employees, and to hold office hours so that employees can come to you if needed.
Motivation 3.0 would give teachers the autonomy which would allow them to have control over their own instruction. Having a Motivation 3.0 school would make teachers feel they can teach with a purpose rather than driving their instruction to meet the demands of standardized testing. At this point in education most everyone is driven by extrinsic motivation. There are rewards for teachers that advance and grow in their subject area(s) such as school and district wide recognition, and good evaluation scores. On the flipside, if a teacher does not have growth on standardized tests then punishments are given such as no recognition and poor growth scores.
Perspective of the Book
This book was an eye opener for me. I have never really put much thought into what drives people. I have thought about that some are more motivated than others, but never have given much thought as to what drives certain individuals. Reflecting back I would think that most people are driven by extrinsic motivation. However, if you look at people who are successful and “appear” to be mastering tasks and goals these people are mostly intrinsic motivators. Even if a person turns to extrinsic motivation, they can relearn the intrinsic

motivation that they were born with. Motivation 3.0 promotes greater physical and mental well-being. For example, most individuals that excel in sports do so because they have a love and passion for the game they are playing. Therefore, they receive self-gratification and feel good about themselves because they have succeeded at something that was meaningful to them. I have seen kids with immense athleticism do well with sports for a while, but lose interest in the sport they are playing. Most of the time the child is doing this because a parent or peer encourages them to play the sport. The child is receiving extrinsic motivation. When a child without as much athletic ability surpasses a child with more athleticism it is most likely because one is motivated internally rather than externally.
I can see how people excel when working for companies that use Motivation 3.0 or teach at schools that use this operating system. The biggest problem that I see with Motivation 3.0 would be getting everyone on board. I feel that a lot of people have gotten accustomed to Motivation 2.0 because this is what they have conformed to. There are many people that feel they need to have control in order to be successful and perform at their maximum potential. It would take a while to get everyone’s mindset back to a natural state, Motivation 3.0. For companies that try to use Motivation 3.0, it may take a while to get everyone on board because a lot of people do not like change. They feel if something is working why should it change. Regardless of whether Motivation 3.0 is a better motivator, some are not going buy into it due to their perspective.
This book is good read and should be readily available for all business leaders, administrators, teachers, parents, and students. Motivation 3.0 would be great for our world if

everyone would be open minded to this new motivation. In an autonomous world, we can do so much. Creativity would soar, there would be more self rewards, and less competition. Lots of Motivation 3.0 and little Motivation 2.0 is what it would take for our world to soar.