Daniel Pink Module 4: 7 Ways to Deepen Motivation, Sharpen Decision-Making & Do More with Less

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Collected from his discussion with VP of Research Anne Petrik and his presentation to Vistage Chairs at this year’s ChairWorld, New York Times bestselling author Daniel Pink shares these 7 methods for improving motivation, efficiency and decision-making. 

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1. Create a “To-Don’t” list

Identify 3 to 5 things in your life that distract your attention, drain your energy and divert you from your most important goals. Write those things down. Then … don’t do them.

“We are — especially accomplished people — are completely over-indexed on addition,” Pink says. “We don’t realize the problem-solving capacities, the problem-solving power of subtraction.”

2. List 3 ways you’ve made progress

At the end of each day for the rest of the year, make it a habit to take 30 seconds and reflect on what you got done and how you advanced. Put it on a list.

3. Have 2 fewer conversations about “how” and 2 more about “why”

You have more “how” conversations than you realize. But twice each week, turn that “how” into a “why.”

Remember, says Pink, a sense of purpose is the single most cost-effective performance enhancer at your disposal. 

4. Change “What should I do?” to “What could I do?”

In tough situations, our instinct is to say, “What should I do?” That’s not a bad idea, but it’s rarely the only idea. Try replacing “should” with “could.”

5. Spend less time trying to change people’s minds. Instead, make it easier for them to act

Pink says to get others to do what you want, focus on creating an “off-ramp” that makes it easier for people to act.

“We have this kind of evangelical proselytizing thing where we need to change everybody’s mind,” Pink says “If you want someone to do something, your first steps should be, ‘What can I do to make it as easy as possible for that person to act?’”

6. Think of breaks as part of your performance

Get away from the idea that a break is a stop in productivity, Pink says. Again, schedule a 15-minute walk break every other afternoon. Do it with someone you like. Don’t talk about work. Leave your phone behind. Then model this behavior for your team.

7. Ask the most effective questions for making the most important decisions

Find boldness by taking a step back when you’re stuck, Pink says.

“We tend to be pretty good problem solvers in general and pretty bad solvers of our own problems, so we have to get some distance,” he says.

Once you step back, ask yourself: “If you were placed tomorrow, what would your successor do?” This gives you the opportunity to “see yourself differently” and take a different approach to the challenge. 

Related Resources 

Daniel Pink on ‘Beyond Resilience’

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