Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

Consider the experiment in which people were offered money for donating blood. What specific factors contributed to the surprising outcome of this experiment? Are there any factors that Pink does not consider?

How can managers foster autonomy in the workplace? Under what circumstances does greater autonomy lead to greater productivity?

Examine how well your own employer or school does at encouraging intrinsic motivation. Do they promote autonomy, mastery, and purpose, or are these elements neglected in favor of extrinsic motivators?

What systemic factors work against the “third drive” in work and education? What specific changes might lead to schools and workplaces that better encourage this drive?

Pink repeatedly emphasizes the importance of paying people well, while also being critical of money as a motivator. How can businesses find the balance of paying people well while not inadvertently destroying intrinsic motivation?

What activities in your own life help you achieve the experience of “flow”? How would you describe that feeling?

Pink wrote Drive in 2009. Are his ideas still relevant today? Have his predictions about the future of work shifting to more “right-brain” jobs come true, or do you see society going in a different direction?

What larger social and economic conditions lead businesses to focus on short-term profits over long-term, purpose-driven goals? What changes would be needed to convince business leaders to shift to a system based less on rewards and punishments and more on intrinsic motivation?