Motivation is more than a salary

If you treat people like nothing, they will do nothing. If you treat people like something, they can do everything.?

This is the unwritten rule that stays in the core of the concept “motivation”.

What is?motivation?

Motives are the needs, desires, wants and drives within an individual. Motivation is the process through which people stimulate and?achieve?certain goals.

If we look at the theory of?Maslow, who is famous in the business circles for his hierarchy of human needs, we can see that salary is at the bottom of the pyramid.?

Logically, the salary is just the root of human's?motivation. It is an external?factor, that propels the employee, but it is only the beginning of the employee’s inspiration and performance, not the “cherry”?at the top.

Maslow’s highest state of human motivations is the?self-actualization?(values and meaning).

It?is accomplished?when the employees do not need to prove themselves to anybody including themselves. When this need?is satisfied?there is a meaning and purpose in live and our work and activities actually have some value. Moreover, we give to others.

As an employers and managers, we need to understand that barely giving money to the employees so they can feed, water, clothe their families, send them to school and pay housing, we actually do not motivate them to fulfill the companies’ vision and excel in their positions.?

This means that in this way, we as employees, do not feel appreciated and respected. When this is the case, we do not complete our task at work using our full potential.?

The jobs that we have are not just instruments to satisfy our basic needs, they are much more than that

Work brings us together into working communities. Work gets people together and make life better, not just because we complete varieties of tasks, but because it makes us feel appreciated. It raises our self-esteem and in this way develop our potential which is a never-ending journey.?

Traditional business methods and management instruments do not meet these requirements or the ideas to develop our human potential at the work place.?

As John Whitmore states: “Self-esteem…is built when someone?is seen?to be?worthy of making choices. Promotion without genuine empowerment and the opportunity to express potential is counterproductive.”?

People want?to be?valued and appreciated. We want our work to have meaning and purpose. Employees have to consider that! They need to look at their ethics,?the desires and the motivational factors notably for their employee, but also for their customers, stakeholders and the community.?

Managers need to change their style and put?the needs of?their staff as a top priority. Developing fear and pressure among their staff results in poor quality of job and lower productivity.?

Attracting professional employees who will stay with the company for a long time and will develop the company agenda, requires management training and development opportunities.?

Empowering managers who look at their teams from above and consider them as below them in the hierarchy,?will inevitably lead to a disrespect toward the bosses and will results into detrimental outcomes for the company.?

Managers and employers need to understand that the human?factor?is the most vital one for a successful business model. Humans are the key factors that will help put the organization at the top of the market or they will sink it.?

Trust, openness, respect, real praise, freedom for development, a right for a choice and coaching will help the business organization be at their best condition and not only make better profits, but also help the community.

Pictures are taken from Ballina Community Clean Up - community organization in Ballina, Ireland. You can follow them here: https://www.facebook.com/ballinacommunitycleanup/