The FLIP Manifesto: Dan Pink

By Sharon Andrew, Happiness Evangelist at Happiest Minds Technologies, Bangalore

Daniel H. Pink in his book The FLIP Manifesto: Sixteen Counterintuitive Ideas About Motivation, Innovation, and Leadershipoffers 16 pieces of advice that run counter to and often directly contradict with what you might have heard hitherto.

He mentions that he is not offering this ‘contrarian counsel’ for the sake of being ‘clever or controversial’, but because in his research he has found individuals and organizations who have often flipped conventional wisdom, doing great things. The sixteen ideas are:

MOTIVATION

1. Start doubting yourself.
2. Pay people too much.
3. Increase sales by eliminating sales commissions.
4. Take as much vacation as you want whenever you want it.
5. Give up trying to find your passion.
6. Keep a To-Don’t list.

INNOVATION

1. Do the reverse of whatever you’re doing now.
2. Pass your problem to someone else.
3. Repeat after me: BO-GOA.
4. Carve out time for non-commissioned work.

LEADERSHIP

1. Establish a Department of Why.
2. Scrap performance reviews.
3. For Godsakes, talk like a human being.
4. Stop trying to maximize shareholder value.
5. Take the “E” test.
6. Talk less, listen more.

Related articles

• Ubuntu (missionsharingknowledge.wordpress.com)
• Measure Your Happiness (missionsharingknowledge.wordpress.com)
• Capacity to be Happy (missionsharingknowledge.wordpress.com)
• A little becomes a LOT! (missionsharingknowledge.wordpress.com)
• Mindful? (missionsharingknowledge.wordpress.com)