Drive Discussion Questions

Discuss a time when you’ve seen one of the seven deadly flaws of carrots and sticks in action. What lessons might you or others learn from the experience? Have you seen instances when carrots and sticks have been effective.

One of the seven deadly flaws that I recently encountered was a case of unethical behavior in a university classroom. While I can’t state specifics of the case, I can describe the general circumstances of this classroom cheating epidemic. A social science course had moved towards an online platform of testing and had switched from taking multiple tests to taking one online test for the course grade. The switch in format created more of a high-stakes environment and added pressure on the students. The test was designed to take several hours and was open book and open notes, but called for individual work. Unfortunately several students presented identical tests with exceedingly fast test taking times. It was readily apparent that people had disregarded the regulations of the test. Aside from the pressure of succeeding I think another factor, in addition to carrots and sticks, played a part in the students cheating—unfamiliarity with the back end of the online testing system.  In this specific case I think that a series of online tests, some collaborative and some individual, would have created less of a high risk/high reward scenario.  I also think that creating other learning metrics, aside from test taking, would have created an environment that would reduce the temptation to cheat.     

One instance where I think that the standard rewards and punishments system of carrots and sticks worked is at a case study challenge I was competing in six years ago. Teams of four people would act as business consultants from a large and respected organization and present an action plan to a given problem. The teams were given less than 48 hours from the time the case was presented to conduct research and present a comprehensive plan of action to the panel of judges. The top three teams won relatively substantial monetary rewards and all of the finalists were able to bypass first round interviews for this company. After we were given the case our team was energized and worked intensely for the short window of time to analyze the problem and create sound strategies for the client. I do not think that there would be the same quality and intensity of work without the rewards and guidelines in place.

As you think about your own best work, what aspect of autonomy has been most important to you? Autonomy over what you do (task), when you do it (time), how you do it (technique), or with whom you do it (team)?

Autonomy has been a major factor in my personal productivity and it this was reinforced in Daniel Pink’s Drive. All types of autonomy have value, but if I had to select the most beneficial type of autonomy for myself I would choose autonomy over what I do. I find it critical to focus what my workload entails. As a departmental marketing manager the types of projects I can take on are endless, and it is easy to lose focus. I am a much more effective employee when I can hone in on the projects that are most in line with our departmental mission. I want to have control over the types of initiatives I am managing because it allows for a sense of ownership and connectedness. I like the symbiotic feeling that my efforts are working towards a larger objective. While other types of autonomy are also important to me if I am granted autonomy over what I do, then I am generally more flexible on when, how, or with whom the project is completed.