In this book by Pink, I have been able to know in a more scientific way how motivation works in people. Through it, the author explains through different experiments carried out by prestigious research groups, how motivation works in the human mind.

Different types of motivation

Motivation 1.0

It is the most primitive motivation of human beings to survive, fulfilling their basic needs. It is a survival mechanism by which the human being must hunt for food, or must avoid predators. We still have this instinct innate in us. However, as humans formed more complex societies, and with the need to cooperate, a purely biological motivation was not enough.

Motivation 2.0

This is where the second version comes in. This type of motivation comes in handy in the Industrial Revolution, where workers are expected to perform as well as possible in exchange for a reward: money. Or punishment: a fine. With this new theory, it is believed that people only move if they have some external stimulus. At this time, industrial engineer Frederik Winslow Taylor began to develop what he called Scientific Management. This American believed that business was conducted in a very inefficient way, so he tried to scientifically analyze the work of workers to get the most out of them.

After the two previous types of motivation, Abraham Maslow, the father of humanistic psychology, questioned whether human behavior is the same as that of animals, where they only seek to meet basic needs. This is where he came up with the idea of Maslow’s pyramid. Later, Douglas McGregor, a professor at MIT, continued to develop this theory and applied it to the business world. In it, he argues that people have other motivations, apart from the basic ones, and that these can also benefit companies, if managers know how to respect them.
Satisfaction and personal motivation

A clear example that Pink discusses in the book is that of the Encarta Encyclopedia and Wikipedia. On the one hand, we have a mega-project developed by one of the largest technology companies in the world, Microsoft. On the other, a free participation project in which people contribute their knowledge without receiving anything in return, other than the personal satisfaction of participating in something so interesting. Here we could also talk about Linux, an open source operating system, recipe pages, free photo banks, or even books written to be offered for free.

Later, Harvard researchers discovered that rewards and punishments are effective for algorithmic tasks (if A, then B), but are useless for heuristic tasks, where creativity is necessary.

Motivation 3.0

If you manage a team and you have a delivery to make, you can use the coercion option to pressure them to stay on weekends and work. In the short term it will pay off, as you will have achieved your goal. But in the long run, you will have damaged their morale. However, if you get the team engaged, you are more likely to get them to volunteer to work overtime to move the project forward. This is achieved by team building and empowerment, so that they feel ownership of the win. And they don’t feel that they are simply a tool to achieve the company’s goals. Here you will have achieved a commitment.

We begin, therefore, to talk about other concepts. These are people’s autonomy, commitment to a common goal and purpose.

The role of managers

Micromanagement

Micromanagement is when a manager in charge of a team tries to control absolutely everything, not only by results, but also by getting things done the way they want them to be done. In this way they will undermine the autonomy of their colleagues and all projects will need their constant supervision. This will end up being detrimental to the overall objective.

People have different needs. A good manager is one who tries to find and meet all the needs of his team.

Types X and Y

This theory says that there are two types of people. The X type is authoritarian, and thinks that all people are mediocre. They will only achieve mediocre results. While Y people are collaborative, and think that there is enough creativity and knowledge spread around the world. These people firmly believe that, if people are given enough autonomy, they will end up taking responsibility without asking for it.

In my (little) experience and theory on this, Y-type people tend to have better mental health. It’s not healthy to be thinking that your team doesn’t measure up, and that you have to constantly be on top of it. You’ll end up frustrating yourself and affecting your team.
Remote work

This is a perfect example to differentiate between companies of one type (controlling) and another (collaborative). Lately, you hear more and more about companies that allow their employees to work from home. The reality is that in most cases people end up doing their part more when they are not controlled by processes, but by objectives. In addition to being happier and more grateful for being able to live where they want or to spend more time with their families.
Management as a science

Another point made in the book is that management is not something that comes naturally. Human beings are not born with the ability to manage or to be managed. This is a human invention. People are not born to be managed. Just look at the freedom and autonomy that children adopt if their parents allow them to do so. Surely they are not going to ask their parents if they can take that object or whether or not they should find out what that food on the table tastes like.

The ‘flow’ state

Have you ever felt the time go by too fast when you were doing something you love? That’s called the flow state. A term coined by psychology professor Mihály Csíkszentmihályi. This occurs when motivation and capabilities are perfectly synchronized.

One of the main sources of frustration in the workplace is the misalignment between what people should do, and what they can do. If what they must do exceeds their capabilities, anxiety will set in. If, on the other hand, what they can do encompasses much more than what they should do, they will become bored.

Education

Education suffers from some of the same problems as the world of work. Not everyone has the same abilities, and not everyone needs to learn in the same way. Conventional education, in that respect, is outdated and ineffective. Society changes and advances at a faster rate than any educational project can adapt. And this is not taken into account.
Different types of objectives

In this sense, we would speak of two types of objectives. On the one hand, we would have the performance objective. That would be to get such and such a grade, or pass such and such a subject. On the other hand, we would have a more effective objective. This would be the learning objective, where the student would simply want to learn or know a subject or area. In the first case, frustration will be the order of the day, and in the second case, the student will continue to improve until he or she knows how to hold a conversation in English, to cite a clear example.

Conclusion

To conclude, and as you may have read, the book covers quite a lot about humanistic psychology and well-being. It is very interesting to learn how science has dedicated itself to studying this field of psychology and, although there is still much to discover, to realize that you have to have a purpose in life, and not simply the search for success or money. And this has to be understood by a team manager, and know how to adapt to different situations. And not wanting the environment and the rest of the team to adapt to him.