The best tool to motivate your employees

I may have just committed a ‘cardinal sin’ while trying to appreciate a 60-year-old Chinese lady.

Every Saturday, there’s an elderly Chinese lady who collects recycled papers and plastics from the offices just outside my apartment. And since our apartment doesn’t have a recycling system in place (and I’m big on recycling) I thought I’d pass ours to her.

Now, seeing this short elderly lady well into her 60s, haul massive amounts of trash on her rusted bicycle, I felt sorry for her.

I wanted to help her out.

Or at the very least appreciate her for helping me.

So yesterday, after passing over my recycling, I also handed her over 20 Malaysian ringgit (that’s about USD5) as a small token of appreciation.

The old woman was visibly taken aback (and not in a good way).

And she seemed almost insulted by my gesture.

Oh dear… I had, based on her appearance alone, wrongly assumed that money would have been a nice way to show her I cared.

I did the exact opposite of what I so strongly believe in – and that is people feel appreciated when they feel seen.

And simply financially compensating someone is rarely the best way to achieve this. 

Instead, a genuine compliment or communicating to them in their love language or truly understanding their needs and meeting those needs can mean so much more.

After getting my money rejected, I immediately recognized the error I made.

So I ran to the nearest convenience store, bought some instant coffee packets and some crackers, and tried my best to convey how much I appreciated her for helping me with my recycling. 

She can’t speak English and I can’t speak Cantonese – but I’m hoping she understood the universal language of ‘rapid hand gestures.’

Thankfully, her mood immediately changed. 

And even with a mask covering half her face, she smiled and graciously accepted.

So please learn from my mistake.

Pay is not the way to motivate employees.

Take the time to truly get to know your team or employees, and find the right way to make them feel seen.

Salary is a symbol of how much you value your team. Not a carrot to motivate them.

Motivate your employees by designing meaningful jobs.

Meaningful jobs are where there is freedom. Mastery. Connection. Impact. Clear communication and ownership.

You can appreciate by paying them well.

But work is about more than making a living. Jobs offer dignity, purpose, status, and belonging.

And we hold responsibility for making this happen as managers.

I write every Sunday and Wednesday on the topics of leadership, culture and HR. Sign up to my newsletter here.