Motivation, work-life balance and maintaining productivity are three factors companies have been trying to boil down, combine and successfully fusion for years. Since the 90’s’ work-life balance frenzy, managers have tried to find the correct motivational factors to influence and improve how people feel at work, and the overall work culture.
Most large companies will still resort to monetary motivation as the first solution, when faced with decreasing productivity, lower results or even attrition, despite this being proved not efficient by several newer studies.
Have a look at what Dan Pink, an expert on motivation, thinks:
or read what these articles say on monetary rewards and how they are proven to not work, in the modern workplace:
Read more here:
So how do we motivate people then, if money doesn’t work?
During my many years of working with various teams of various compositions, I have come to experience, first hand, how culture and team dynamics are crucial for the well-being of employees, their motivation, and the success of the company. The times I’ve experienced truly successful teamwork, where everyone on the team was working towards the same goal, namely having a good atmosphere and reaching the company targets, we could thank good leadership, a balanced team, and, most importantly, a work culture that fostered understanding and sharing of knowledge.
People today don’t just want to have a job, to secure an income. We see millennials changing the scope for what makes up a desirable workplace where, in former generations, a job needed merely to provide financial security and, possibly, an opportunity to advance with time.
I believe the research, and I am certain that what motivates, makes a company sustainable, successful in the long run, and desirable among workers, is the work culture that permeates throughout the organization, in management/team relations, in internal processes and at the individual team level as well.
Being a geek, who loves anything concerning organizational communication, I could put forth a very long analysis on, what a company needs to focus on to create this very important cornerstone for a successful business. But let me boil it down to the main topics.
- Cultural Understanding
- Efficient Diversity Management
- Knowledge Sharing & Training of Employees
- Transparent Internal Network
- Flat power relation style (preferable, but not indefinitely necessary)
My recommendation for you, be you a manager, CEO, employer or entrepeneur, looking to create a company that flourishes, is to look to successful and sought after Companies, such as Google and Virgin, and get inspiration from what they do. They nurture culture, freedom with responsibility, and innovation to make their companies desirable – and sustainable.
And remember, if you need assistance with inspiration on how to establish a “Google-Culture” within your team or company, I will be happy to have a chat and a virtual coffee!
Thanks for tuning in!
If this article made you curious about me and my work, please feel free to contact me and I’ll be happy to have a virtual coffee with you! Cheers – Sarah
Sarah Andersen Business Optimization 