BOOK REVIEW: The Motivation Code
by Todd Henry
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ABOUT THE BOOK (from Amazon):
What drives us to unleash our best work? And how do we tap into that drive to get superior results with our managers, coworkers, and direct reports? As Todd Henry reveals in this illuminating book, drawing on decades of research and interviews with over 100,000 people, the answer is not one size fits all: some people are energized by a race against the clock, while others put in extra effort only when they feel part of a team. For still others, nothing is as motivating as the possibility of public recognition.
Henry shows, in fact, that there are twenty-seven “motivational themes”, each with its own unique DNA. For instance:
• Those driven to Achieve Potential strive to build an ideal future, even when others may not see as far ahead.
• Those needing to Overcome must conquer whatever obstacles come their way, no matter how difficult or time-consuming.
• Those who strive to Comprehend and Express are obsessed with mastering new skills and showing off what they know–which is often a lot.
• Those who want to Make It Right thrive when systems are running smoothly and usually know the “proper way” to do things.
The Motivation Code teaches us to decode our Core Motivation so that we can have conversations, make decisions, and even choose career paths that lead us to experience engagement and fulfillment. Once we know how to activate our inner drivers, we can transform the work we do into work we love.
MY REVIEW:
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At the beginning of this book the authors will ask you to take the motivation code assessment before continuing on. You can take it for free on the website. The free version will give you your top three motivations (out of a list of 27). You also have the option of purchasing the full report for $49. I highly recommend doing this as it is very insightful.
Most of the book then goes through each of the 27 motivations in detail. When I first started reading it, I thought it might get boring reading through a lot of things that didn’t apply to me. However, I purchased the full report which showed me how all 27 of the motivations ranked for me. There were only a few that felt like they totally didn’t resonate with me at all. For all the rest I could see how they fit in my ranking.
This book opened my eyes to things about myself I hadn’t gotten from other assessment tools I’ve done (i.e. DiSC, Kolbe, Strengths Finder, etc.). I even had my team take the assessment so I could write their names in the book under their top three motivations. This will help me know how to work with and manage them better.
If you’re interested in learning more about yourself and better understanding some of the people you work with, I highly recommend this book. It’s one of my favorites so far this year!