I was intrigued by this book because intrinsic motivation is what drives our discretionary effort at work -- are we willing to give more because it motivates and feeds us in some way. The book is laid out in clear chapters with tools and tips so made it easy to follow. Some of the content was very light (such as the chapter on diversity) and when I read it started as a pamphlet at McKinsey Consulting where he was working it started making sense to me why some of it felt light. Overall, I am not sure if this book is for everyone - some of his tips I found kind of revolting and some of them helpful. There is a huge push toward "tough love" and "managing up" and just kind of "sucking it up" for the job. I am not sure if this leads to greater intrinsic motivation - but rather could help you survive any job you are in.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Executive Coach Stefan Falk has concrete tips in this book for getting to the why of what you want to accomplish. He says there are no boring or scary activities only boring or scary ways to think about them. In other words, your mindset matters. But it takes much more than that to accomplish your goals. One of the key takeaways is being focused on hanging out with the right people as you pursue your goals…Stefan says this important rule is as significant as eating the right foods when you are trying to lose weight. He suggests getting an accountability buddy or buddies and work through the book together. Throughout the book, Stefan focuses on what he calls FEO…Focus on Exciting Outcomes rather then checking off your activity-oriented to-do list. This is a key principle of why we choose what we do in our work and personal life. “Mastering FEO will strengthen your indirect reward system,” says Stefan. He talks about how to do this with practical ways to think about your day, such as, “Set expectations every day and bring home something exciting and interesting to tell your kids” or “Pursue a Daily Theme That Excites You”.
This book is a wonderful handbook for readers to dig deep into what matters to them and how to get it.

Intrinsic Motivation wasn’t quite what I was expecting. I was drawn in by the subtitle about learning to love your work and succeed as never before. I was hoping for a new tool to share with the managers I lead. What I found, however, was a collection of productivity tools with a tough love spin. It’s not for everyone. I would recommend this book to a professional that is stuck and overcommits at work. This tools in the book will help team members with accountability, productivity, and personal improvement.

Thank you Stefan Falk and #netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I love the approach and message of this book! Of all the business methods, self-help, and steps-to-success books I have read over the years, this one finally bypassed all of the clutter and went the heart of the matter. Essentially, it says:

Decide to love the work you do. Create excitement (within yourself) about every part of your day. Do it consciously and effectively. Adjust the work to more fully flow with your talents, and love the work you do.

Of course, there is more explanation and guidance to understand the concept and nuances--because we all view ideas based on our past experiences--but it points right to what gives me joy, and what I have only been partially applying in my life.

The five keys for using this as motivation (which I don't have room to list here), include mastery of the mind. Which is a fancy way of saying "Decide what you really want to do, plan it, fully commit to it, and do it."

What many people have trouble with is considering a decision to be final (unless something drastic happens). This is the part that requires mastery of the mind. Once you fully commit to something, there should be a feeling of freedom from uncertainty and doubt. Self-control isn't restrictive, it's just like carefully writing software to achieve a good purpose.

Among other things, the book goes forward with clear logical methods that help individuals, leaders, and businesses, work smarter by creating a culture focused on the best value for the effort (cost), and whether activities or attitudes are in the best interest of the work (business).

Many of the ideas are not new, but the focus of this book is--as the title states--your motivation and the inherent value of loving your work. I recommend this book to students, educators, parents, and business people of all kinds. There are valuable insights for every person and type of group or organization!

5/5 Enthusiastic Stars!

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the temporary digital preview of this book; any review is voluntary and entirely my own opinion.

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This book on getting ahead in the corporate world had lots of good advice. In fact, it had so much good advice that the tone seemed a bit rushed to get everything in. This would be a very good book for young people just starting their careers.

Intrinsic Motivation offers solutions (ranging from "easy to implement" to "moderately demanding to implement" to "demanding to implement") to cultivating intrinsic motivation and shifting your mindset to focus on exciting outcomes. It is organized in easy to follow chapters (35 in total, each with a different piece of advice).

The tone throughout is in the "tough love" category and the author makes it clear he does not accept excuses or complaints. It is a little jarring, but I get that this is the style he found works for him and his clients. If you are interested in having a better work-life balance, dealing with difficult colleagues, improving how to "sell" your good ideas to your colleagues and supervisors, etc. - I recommend this. You can pick and choose which solutions you would like to test using the sample questions and checklists provided. 3.5 stars.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.