I'm currently grappling with Drive by Daniel H Pink. It's yes another book about what motivates people, but what sets it apart is that it avoids wild theory and draws upon four decades of scientific research. In other words, proper rigour.
I raced through it at first, but it's in my bag and I keep on getting it out to check something else and think about it a bit more.
The basic premise is that organisations need to stop trying to motivate people through carrots and sticks and focus on the true elements of what drives people:
Autonomy – the desire to direct our own lives
Mastery – the urge to get better and better at something that matters (to you)
Purpose – the yearning to do something in the service of something larger than ourselves
I think this is brilliant. There's lots for ad people, especially planners to ponder when it comes to persuading people, being useful or the pillars they should build brands on. For example, looking for ideas that people can play a part in, brand having a genuine purpose that brings together both internal and external and genuine usefulness for people to fully explore their passions and interests. That's just scratching surface.
It says so much more about how organisations should manage people in the 21st century - and agencies in particular. Does your agency feel like it cares about those things?
NORTHERN PLANNER 
Leave a comment