In the book,Drive:The Surprising Truth about what Motivates us, Pink (2009), reports that “contrary to what we usually

In the book,Drive:The Surprising Truth about what Motivates us, Pink (2009), reports that “contrary to what we usually believe…the best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times- although such experiences can also be enjoyable, if we have worked hard to attain them.The best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to the limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile” ( pp. 186-187).Pink proposed two type of motivational systems(individual and organizational):Type X – which is concerned with external rewards (a model used by most organizations) and Type I – which is inherently motivated by intrinsic desires where satisfaction is achieved from the activity/work itself.Pink proposes that we can strengthen individual and organizational performance by moving from a Type X to a Type I motivational system.He further proposes that Type I behavior:
·Is not innate; it can be cultivated.·Almost always out performs Type X behavior·Cares about money but pay doesn’t drive performance·Is a renewable resource·Promotes better physical and mental health
Understanding the complexity of motivation begins with self knowledge. This assignment begins with you learning about your own personal motivation system by performing a “flow test” self-assessment (Refer to Pink pages 153-161). The flow test was developed by Csikszentmihalyi (2000). Csikszentmihalyi describesFlowas “those exhilarating moments when we feel in control, full of purpose, and in the zone” (as cited in Pink, p. 186).For thisweek long self-assessment,set an alarm to go off at forty random times. Each time the alarm goes off, write down what you’re doing, how you’re feeling, and whether you’re in the “flow.”Please see details in Pink (p. 154). Following your assessment,look at your recordings for patterns. Consider the following talking points in your discussion:

• Which moments produced feelings of “flow?” Where were you? What were you working on? Who were you with?
• Are certain times of the day more flow-friendly than others? How could you restructure your day based on your findings?
• How might you increase the number of optimal experiences and reduce the moments when you felt disengaged or distracted?
• If you’re having doubts about your job or career, what does this exercise tell you about your true source of intrinsic motivation?

I encourage you to be honest in your assessment, as this exercise isa basis forimproving performance and achieving mastery. Read theremainder of thechapter on Type I for individuals and discover howto reach a higher level of personal and professional motivation.
The second part of the assignment begins with a reflection on the organization in which you are currently employed or where you were previously employed.Review Pink’s nine ways to improve your company, office, or group on pages 162-169.Pink’s nine ways of to help create engaging and productive workplaces include the following:
·Try “20 percent time” with training wheels·Encourage peer-to-peer “now that” rewards.·Conduct an autonomy audit.·Take three steps toward giving up control.·Play “whose purpose is it anyway?”·Use Reich’s pronoun test.·Design for intrinsic motivation.·Promote Goldilocks for groups.·Turn your next off-site into a FedEx day.
Consider the following questions in your discussion: Is your organization currently using these strategies? If so, how would you evaluate their effectiveness? If not, how would you facilitate their application? If this is difficult, why might that be? What processes and outcomes might you anticipate?

Pink, D E. (2009).Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us.New York: Riverhead Books.