I think I’m in love with Dan Pink

By Stacie Maier • September 13, 2009 • Filed in: Science and other fun stuff

I’m just catching up on my TED, and came across this excellent talk with Dan Pink. He might be my new hero.

The arguments presented against the current compensation system are numerous and compelling. However, in the face of a huge economic system that is not known for flexibility, risk-taking or general common sense, it is not likely that many of the recommended changes will take place on any sort of large scale anytime soon. Even despite the case studies presented of employers who do incorporate some of these methods, like Google.

That doesn’t mean that all you employers out there shouldn’t be looking into modifying your reward systems, nor that all you worker bees shouldn’t be advocating for their incorporation. It’s the always the early adopters that thrive when a major paradigm shift is on the horizon, and I truly believe that one is.

I wonder – going to the ‘carrot and stick’ rewards system and the fact that rewards can actually decrease efficiency in non-rote tasks – do you think that relates to why, when you’re playing Guitar Hero, that you ALWAYS miss a note right after you get one of those floaty word bubbles telling you how much you rock?

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