The clear message in ‘Drive’ is something which most of us have always known intuitively -- that money does not motivate people in the work place in the long term. But us Pink explains in the book (and in the video clip below) there is now a raft of scientific research that backs up what we’ve already known.
So why do so many employers and business leaders get obsessed with trying to motivate people via the old fashioned carrot and stick approach hey…?
Whilst celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has had his fair share of critics over the years, I’ve always been a big fan. Not necessarily because of his culinary skills, but because of what he stands for.
Jamie has worked tirelessly to give young unemployed people an opportunity to become chefs and transform their lives through his innovative Fifteen restaurants. He’s campaigned to change the way schools and the government feed children to turn around the obesity timebomb.
So I was delighted to see that his work was rewarded last week at the TED talks, where was awarded the 2010 Ted Prize and gave the inspirational talk above about his wish to educate children on food and so eradicate obesity and dietary illnesses.
So how does a celebrity chef win such a prestigious award and be invited to speak in front of such an auspicious audience?
Whilst the politicians keep talking about clamping down on huge financial incentives in response to the financial crisis, many banks and other corporations contend that large financial incentives are required to attract, engage and retain people.
But as Dan Pink shows us in his recent talk at the TED Talks, pay and financial rewards are not the most effective way to engage and motivate employees. They never were in the past, and certainly won’t be in the future. To engage and motivate people in the future, organisations will need to take a very different strategy.
To motivate people in the 21st century organisations need to focus not on financial rewards but instead on helping employees achieve:
1. Autonomy
2. Mastery
3. Purpose
As usual with Pink, his ideas are based on solid facts and scientific research.
So tell me, is he right? Is what Pink has to say consistent with what motivates you..?
I recently came across a fun and inspiring talk given by the TV talk-show host and stand-up comedienne Ellen Degeneres. Ellen was speaking to the so-called ‘Catrina Class’ of graduates’ at Tulane University in New Orleans earlier this summer.
The 10-minute talk was peppered with Ellen’s trademark humour coupled with some sage advice for the new graduates. Below are 7 career lessons I picked out from the speech along with how they apply to you and your career:
1. “Stop trying to please everyone else” One of the biggest reasons people don’t pursue work and careers they are passionate about is because they’re overly concerned about what everyone else thinks. In trying to please their parents, partner, friends, boss, colleagues and the next-door neighbour’s dog, they succeed in pleasing everyone but themselves. Trying to please everyone else is the fast track way to failure and frustration. So quit trying to please everyone and instead focus on what’s most important to you. You’ll find that the people that really care about you will support you through thick and thin.
2. “The most important thing is to be yourself”
When you stop trying please everyone and take off the ‘mask,’ life and work become far easier and less stressful. When you focus on being the best version of you instead of trying to be an imitation of someone else, some people (including some employers) won’t appreciate you. But in time, the right people and the right opportunities will be drawn to you effortlessly.
3. “Follow your own path, not someone else’s”
At the age of 14 I decided I was going to be a pharmacist. Or rather, my family decided I would be a pharmacist (after all, it’s a good Indian profession – lots of status and pretty lucrative). Whilst I had little interest in pharmacy or studying sciences, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do, so I settled on the pharmacy career path. But then at the age of 16, I failed all my science exams whilst passing everything else. I realised then that trying to do what everyone else wanted me to do would never work. And it will never work for you either. Take advice yes, but listen to yourself, follow your passions and the things you’re instinctively motivated to do. You’ll be far happier and far more successful.
4. “The most devastating things that happen to you, will teach you the biggest lessons” Many people who have been laid off in the current economy are learning the importance of having a strong network well before they need one. Some people are realising that they need to take much more responsibility for their careers by thinking and acting like freelancers instead of being wholly reliant on one employer. Most people are learning that it’s not sufficient to just ‘do a good job’ – to succeed, you need to be able to market yourself and develop a distinct personal brand. Whilst sometimes painful, learning these lessons now and implementing the learning in the coming months and years will in fact make you far more successful in the future.
So remember – everything is a stepping stone to somewhere else. The thing that may seem like a disaster right now, could be the very thing that teaches you the lessons you need to really thrive in the future.
5. “Your definition of success will change over time”
We often find ourselves climbing the ladder of success only to find some years later that the ladder is, in fact, leaning against the wrong wall. What you were striving for 3 or 5 years ago is very likely different from what you want now. So ask yourself: what’s your current definition of career success? Are your actions and behaviours focused on achieving what you want today or what you wanted in the past?
6. “Contribute in some way”
You can focus on accumulating ’stuff’ – money, fancy job titles, cars, houses – but ultimately your success, your reputation and your legacy will be measured not by what you accumulate, but by what you contribute. In the modern world we live in, there are more ways to contribute than ever before: mentoring, volunteering, blogging, campaigning, fund raising, doing charity runs, lending money to the poor via micro finance schemes. Whilst these are not all directly related to your career, your job makes many of these possible and so, by contributing, you can make your career that much more meaningful.
7. “You’re gonna be ok……so just dance!”
No matter how bad things may seem today, you will be ok. If you’re out of work – you will find a job. It may take longer than you would like, but you’ll get there. If you’re stuck in a career you hate – things will change. Maybe the job, the organisation or you. It won’t happen overnight – but things will work out and you’ll be ok. So instead of stressing too much about what may happen tomorrow, enjoy today and just dance….
To see the 10-minute clip of Ellen talking through these lessons with far more humour than my commentary, click here
It’s a little bit cheesy
It’s a little long (16 minutes, 23 seconds)
But I can assure you, the following short story film will definitely make you smile and give you some of that ‘feel-good factor’ that’s missing at the moment.
So grab yourself a coffee, kick back and hit the play button below.
Are you finding it tough to get back into the job market after being laid off? Are you concerned about the state of the economy and your job security? Do you sometimes doubt yourself and your ability to deal with many of the challenges you’re now facing?
If you answered ‘yes’ to one or more of the above questions -- you’re not alone. Self doubt, anxiety and indeed anger are very common emotions when you face any kind of set back or fall – be that in your career or in other parts of your life.
Watch this inspirational 5 minute video below and you’ll see that we all have the power to deal with any a setback or fall. The ability to get up and moving again. Then then come back and watch the video again when you’re having a bad day and in need of a lift.
So regardless of the setback you’re dealing with right now, get right back up. Interesting challenges and opportunities await you.
Who do you know that is currently dealing with a setback? Someone who would benefit from reading this post and watching the video clip? Feel free to forward a link to this page now.
Here’s a short clip from Dan Pink, one of my favourite authors on managing careers in the modern work place. If you’re considering a career change or searching for meaningful work then these are wise words. If you enjoy the clip, you may want to look at he’s excellent book A Whole New Mind.
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