How Singapore managers can stop struggling to motivate staff

Singapore managers take heed. More than half (52%) of Singaporeans are "completely disengaged or detached" at work, as compared to 41% globally, accordng to a study by Towers Watson.

When employees don't care, it has a ripple effect on the organisation - the quality of work is compromised, service standard is not up to par, and the organisation performance weakens. Ultimately, the bottomline suffers.

Surely we do not wish to have employees who are sleepwalking through their working hours, putting in time but not enthusiasm. But how do we turn around nonchalant attitudes to one where they are willing to go the extra mile, have their own sense of well-being, and contribute happily to your organisation's success? In other words, how do you make sure your employees care?

Motivation by way of further rewards and benefits may not be the answer. Psychologists, experts in human resource management, and sociologists have long argued that extrinsic motivations like money, praise, and winning contests can be counterproductive.

There are substantial studies done to support this. One such argument in Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation stated that "indeed, a substantial body of experimental and field evidence indicates that extrinsic motivation (contingent rewards) can sometimes conflict with intrinsic motivation (the individual's desire to perform the task for its own sake)" (R Benabou, Princeton University and Institute of Advanced Study, and J Tirole, Universit´e de Toulouse I, 2000).

Moreover, doling out endless awards such as 'best customer service', 'employee of the month', 'top sales performer', etc. also seem gimmicky after a while. Instead, focus on making it possible for employees to offer more of their capability and potential.

Treat them as individuals and get to know them personally
To do so, the first step is to switch from a mechanistic approach to a more personal one. The thing is, we are dealing with human beings. Everyone is unique. Everyone has different strengths. Everyone has a different set of values. We need to be able to see who that person is.

The thing is, we cannot get to know a person by putting them through personality tests. Neither do we hold weekly Fridays get-together and hope to do so through cursory engagements. We get to know a person through deeper conversations so we can find out how we can help them to help the organisation.

One good platform to do so is during projects debriefing sessions.

Stop looking for mistakes and start looking for success
During project debriefing sessions, go beyond the standard what happened, what went well, what didn't, what could be better exchanges.

Devote some time to finding out what your staff did well that contribute to the success of the project. Ask them what they are proud of contributing that made a difference.

Then, watch and LISTEN.

Watch for the sparkle in their eyes. The energy. Listen for the excitement in their voice when they talk about what they did to contribute to the success. Note what abilities, values, and talents they personally employ. Typically, it is something that they do that no one can do quite as well as them.

Be sure to acknowledge it and thank them for their contributions. When we specifically acknowledge the skills they use, we are validating their value. This important assurance on our part does a lot of good for their confidence and motivation.

If you find it difficult to pinpoint their strengths, consider a personal branding programme that offers a structured way to identify individual strengths. The staff will benefit from light-bulb-moment insights into who they are and what they possess.

What's more, awakening people to their inherent strengths can be an eye-opener. You'd be surprised that a lot of people are either not fully aware of their strengths, or they tend to take them for granted.

Give them the opportunity to do what they do best
When we know what the individuals are good at, we will be able to plan how they can best contribute. By doing so, we give them the opportunity to do what they do best. This certainly helps in sustaining staff engagement.

In fact, according to a research done by Gallup, people who use their strengths every day are six times more likely to be engaged on the job.

So, instead of fitting people into jobs, we make the jobs fit around people and find ways for them to use their strengths. One such way is to try assigning responsibilities as opposed to assigning roles.

Let's say, in the HR department, do not just appoint an HR specialist to handle 'Compensation and Benefits'. If you discover that one staff is particularly strong in administrative work while another is good with negotiations, have them handle different aspects of 'Compensation and Benefits'. One could help in negotiations with insurers for group health coverage, for example, while the other takes charge of the administrative aspects such as payroll.

Or for instance, in a Corporate Communications Department, let the person who is strong in research and writing be responsible for crafting the press releases plus other writing needs of the department. Leave the media relations to the CorpComms specialist who is good in rapport building to focus in building the relationships and following up with editors and journalists. Find out who in your team is resourceful and organised to put together press events and launches.

Some of the suggested approaches may require us to break away from doing what we are used to doing. But if the change is beneficial, it is worth a try.

Even heads of organisations, like Charles Schwab, Founder of Charles Schwab Corporation, believes in bringing out the best in people: "I consider my ability to arouse enthusiasm among men the greatest asset I possess. The way to develop the best that is in a man is by appreciation and encouragement."

It's really about treating our people as individuals, recognising their unique strengths and allowing them to shine.