Why We Love Daniel Pink

The old ‘carrot and stick’ style of motivation doesn’t work very well in the modern workplace — monetary incentives don’t buy employee happiness.

Turns out, motivation is more about timing. “Timing exerts an incredible effect on what we do and how we do it,” according to Daniel Pink in his latest book, “When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing.”

Who is Daniel Pink?

Daniel Pink is the author of six provocative books about the changing world of work. Pink’s TED Talk on the science of motivation is one of the 10 most-watched TED Talks of all time, with more than 19 million views.

We’re big fans of Daniel Pink — in fact, his book, “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” is featured on our Changemaker Reading List. And he was the keynote speaker at our Limeade Engage 2018 conference.

In short, Daniel Pink is the mastermind behind some of our favorite research on motivation and a pioneer in harnessing the science of timing in the workplace.

Here are three reasons why we love Daniel Pink:

1. Daniel Pink embodies the “Anything is Possible” Limeade value.

He’s bold, positive and thinks big. He invests optimistically in innovation by digging deeper into the research. Pink scours psychological, biological and economic studies to explore what he calls the overlooked dimension — timing. His temporal hacks will help optimize your life.

2. Daniel Pink advocates for mastery, autonomy and purpose in the workplace.

He draws on four decades of scientific research to explain the three elements of true motivation:

• Autonomy: We’re all built with inner drive. You can help employees make progress by giving meaningful feedback, choice over how to do things and encouragement.
• Mastery: A sense of progress, not just in our work, but our capabilities, contributes to our inner drive. The trick is to give employees the space and support to reach a little higher to foster improvement and growth.
• Purpose: Connecting to a cause larger than yourself drives the deepest motivation. Help employees connect to something larger than themselves — create a line of sight that connects their work to people, a mission and values.

At Limeade, we believe autonomy, mastery and purpose are critical to true employee engagement.

3. Daniel Pink is a changemaker.

He’s transforming the workplace one book at a time. He challenges the status quo by proving the ‘carrot and stick’ style approach is not only antiquated but also counter-intuitive. Pink equips other changemakers with tools and resources to lead more effective and engaged teams.

Speaking of motivation, check out the seven podcast episodes you need to listen to boost motivation and mindfulness.