Motivation for Contribution

Living in different cities, working in different fields, interacting with people from different sectors, age groups across the globe always makes me wonder what motivates people to work, to move forward in life. Is it money always or the position or the feeling of being in the position of power? How do we define success or failure? Is it linked to our bank balances or the level of satisfaction derived at the end of every day? What keeps an employee working for an organization or why there are layoffs?

Both my grandfathers were Policemen. Work had always been their life. There had been no bifurcation between duty and personal life. My grandfather used to narrate to us incidences about how he dealt with every circumstance with his honesty and courage. It was not a cakewalk but there was always pride in the way he narrated his stories. My father is a mechanical engineer and worked with BHEL (PSU) for almost 30 years. We had postings at different places, especially power station sites. My entire childhood till my marriage I saw my father leaving home at 8.15 am and back by 7 pm. His commitment and discipline have been amazing. He loved his work and never ever complained about anything in the office or the routine or the schedules. When power station erection was going on he used to be there at the site at odd hours. It used to be hectic and challenging. But we always saw him calm, composed, and focussed. When ERP was being implemented he played a very important role. It was an entirely new development and at that time people were not so comfortable using computers. But my father not only adopted easily any such changes but played a pivotal role in getting software developed and implemented. He has always been a tech-savvy person so much that even today he is more aware than us of many new advancements. Was he motivated with his salary or promotions or increments ?? The discussion was never about salaries, remuneration or recognition but about the contribution he made and the value, it generated. This was not an expressed discussion but subtly I could make out that his work meant value creation and that motivated him. There were no Monday blues or no weekend resting. Work was an integral part of life. Organizations retained employees and everything went in a predefined way. There was no insecurity of being laid off.

I was pursuing my CA at that time and had to visit many offices, business houses for audits. Most of our conversations then used to revolve around the nature of business, systems that could be introduced or followed to improve productivity and rectify the shortfalls. So the mindset has been always about doing work that will make a difference and not just satisfy our money requirement.

Fast forward 20 years and the scenario at work has changed over a period of time. With globalization and an ever-expanding market, there are a plethora of work opportunities. People ( except a few) no longer believe in serving the same organization for over decades. Earlier work or jobs was an integral part of life which was part of the routine . But now there is consciousness or more awareness of contribution to be valued. Appraisals, resignations, appointments, increments are some of the terms very commonly used. Employees prefer their JDs to be clearly spelled and not ambiguous.

As a writer blogger, I love studying people, their thought processes, their expectations, their reactions. Engaging in conversations at workplaces helps to understand the work, the technicalities, the challenges people at different levels face, performing different kinds of work. Barring a few cases, most of the people whom I have conversed with are motivated not just by money but by Recognition. Right from the gatekeeper to the CEO everyone is doing their bit for the company. Acknowledging contribution can boost morale in a different way. Try showing gratitude to housekeeping or security staff in your office premises or residential societies and see how a sense of joy spreads on their faces. People are not machines just giving output with money input but they are emotionally and mentally contributing to the process and expect their work to be seen as an important component in the entire process of revenue generation. They need feedback about their work, they like to discuss about bringing innovation in their field, making it relevant, and discarding old obsolete processes if any. Yes, people do change jobs but it's not always for a rise , many times it's about change in work or advancement in responsibilities. People wish to keep pace and don't mind taking break for enhancing their skill sets. Security and safety at the workplace are other important aspects. Corporates breaking the bias and believing in gender-equal opportunities are preferred choice. Creating an ownership feeling is not easy with so much competition and uncertainty around.

The world around is dynamic and even organizations have a tough time coping with changes retaining the workforce. Empathy and commitment is required from both sides. Happy and motivated workforce and a healthy motivating workplace are truly essential.HR departments in offices have an important task to check on all employees well being, establish a healthy dialogue and create a win-win situation for both.