Thanks to Roni Horowitz in Israel for calling my attention to this excellent presentation from Daniel Pink, a leading career analyst who spoke at a TED Conference in 2009. He discusses research showing that traditional “if then” financial incentives are great for encouraging people to rapidly complete simple, straightforward tasks, but when it comes to creative problem solving and similar complex tasks, such incentives can actually decrease performance. For innovation, intrinsic rewards may be especially important. An environment where people feel that their work is relevant and makes a difference can do more to enhance innovation than financial perks. Watch the video and then consider exploring what kind of innovation culture you have. Do you really understand what motivates innovation in your environment?