Quick Review of Drive by Daniel Pink

Drive is another great book I read in the book store across the road from my workplace. OK, I admit it, I broke down and bought this one.

The overall premis of the book is to answer the question, "What are the ingredients that motivate people most effectively?" That's how I would put it. Pink traces several shifts in corporate America's mentality of motivation through out the last few hundred years. Then, he challenges us toward a new shift.

He suggest that the most motivated organizational cultures have three ingredients:

1) Autonomy
2) Development
3) Purpose.

1. Autonomy. We should create organizations that let team members do their thing their way. Sure everyone may need some guidance, but the less you can get by with the better. Give people a simple measurable job description and let them accomplish how ever they want. Let them work 12 hours a week if that is best. Let them work 80. 9-5? cool. 2am to 12pm? If that works. Supervise less. Produce more.

Two ways a church could add this principle into their organizations. 1) With church staff, take the time to craft clear expectations. Then, let them try to accomplish those expectations any way they want to. Let them work any schedule they need. Leaders can simply meet weekly or monthly and discuss progress, help overcome obstacles, etc. What if they fail to meet the expectations? Help them figure out why and how. Move them to another area of responsibility if necessary. Fire them if you have to. Just don't manage them to death. If you have to manage someone more than an hour or two a week to accomplish their expectations then you either need to change how you act in that hour or change the person over the task,

2) The second thing churches can do with this info is to take their hands off of volunteers. State clear expectations. Give them parameters. Then, let people create ministry. Priesthood of the believers stuff.

2. Development. Organizations that are the filled with the most motivated workforces help their teams develop and grow in areas of their own passions and strengths. Simply put, people need to be helped to discover their strengths and unique contributions and then we need to help them perform in those areas of passion at the highest level possible.

Shouldn't have to make the connection to ministry on this one. But, I will quickly. Let people do what they a) love and b) what they are successful at when they do it. Don't ask them to do a bunch of other crap. "But then we won't have someone to run the children's ministry!" Then stop doing it. Don't do anything that doesn't have a corresponding gifted leader. Church's operate according to flesh and outside the provision of God when they do a ministry "just because we are supposed to" even thought no one is passion about doing it. That's why you have burn out. That's why you can't get enough volunteers.

3. Purpose. People have to see and feel that their efforts are worth something to the world, that they are making a significant contribution.  Shouldn't have to make the connection to ministry on this one either. So I won't!