State of the Arts Blog

What makes us perform better? Not money.

While common belief in the business world supports giving bonuses to inspire better performance, science soundly refutes such thinking. In fact, monetary incentives often make us perform worse. So what to do if you want to inspire your minions?

In this TED talk, career analyst Dan Pink debunks performance bonuses and pushes instead for jobs that give people the ability to direct themselves in meaningful pursuits. Pink's three tenets for success are "autonomy, mastery and purpose." How many jobs can offer that?