I heard Dan Pink on Talk of the Nation yesterday discussing his new book, Drive.  Listeners called in to talk about their work experience and share what they would change about their workplace in order to be more motivated.  One man called in and said that he felt like management is just there to get people to follow their whims.  When Dan asked what the caller would change to make things better, the man replied that he would have management sign a contract saying that if they create a direction for the next six months, it should stay in place for the whole six months!

Dan connected this to engagement levels and the fact that they are dropping in many companies.

This resonates with what we hear all the time. People want a sense of direction they can count on.  It doesn’t have to be a clear vision all the time, but some sense of where they are going.  The lack of direction effects engagement and it’s part of what’s necessary to be in Sync.

If you want to see Dan talk about Drive, you can see his TED talk here.

I had lunch recently with an executive who left a very successful company after helping them grow both the top and bottom line.  I asked him why he left and he said, “It’s so hard to lead from the middle.”  He went on to explain that though he liked the president of the company as a person, the lack of direction was more than he could tolerate.

This story illustrates why great people often leave companies who need them.  I’ve heard the same idea described in different ways.  For instance, another senior person who left a great company said “I just didn’t see a future I could get excited about.” (more…)