Intrinsic knocks out extrinsic motivation

A few years ago, we met Dan Pink and even briefly explored a business idea with him inspired by a previous book of his. That book, A Whole New Mind, served and continues to serve an important role at Topics. It's all but required reading here and still sits prominently on many bookshelves in the office. It's an inspiration and a reminder of why we do things and how we do things at Topics.

Later this year, I expect it will be joined on those shelves by Dan's latest book, Drive: The Surprising Truth about what Motivates Us. In Drive, Dan examines extrinsic (carrots, sticks, commissions, bonuses) and intrinsic (autonomy, mastery, purpose) motivation, particularly as they apply to business settings. What he learns (and what he shares) may surprise you.

As a teaser for the upcoming book (scheduled for release December 29, 2009), we'll leave you with this video, taken from this year's TED Global Conference, where he starts laying the groundwork for Drive's case. Dan's a good communicator -- in print and in person. Maybe he could have even been a good lawyer. Maybe. But we're glad he opted for a different (we'd never say better!) path. Enjoy.