On Thursday October 20th, the British Chamber of Commerce was proud to present a unique round table discussion to members and guests. The topic of discussion at this special event was how to motivate employees in order to allow them to achieve their greatest potential of performance. This topic is on the minds of HR professionals throughout the business world today and is a constant challenge and goal for managers and companies as we try to maximize the value and effect of our human assets.  Having the best people on your team is important, but having them perform at their peak and give their best is how we succeed in achieving our business goals. Knowing how to motivate people is the key to unlocking their true potential.
   One unique feature of the event was the use of streaming video to share input from Teresa Amabile the Edsel Bryant Ford Professor of Business Administration in the Entrepreneurial Management Unit at Harvard Business School.  MS. Amabile has spent 15 years analyzing feedback from individuals rather than companies in order to measure and track what motivates people and be able to provide statistical values for the five key motivators which she has identified. The product of this exhaustive research has been released to the business community in her book “The Progress Principle” where she reveals what really motivates employees and keeps them engaged, productive, and enthusiastic. Readers and HR professionals will want to take note of this significant work as it may change their perception of what really motivates employees and unlocks human potential.
   A panel of local business leaders and professionals was on hand to explore the video presentation and share their own thoughts and experiences on the topics of motivation and productivity. The panelists included Gita Djambeck Lead Consultant for HR Consulting Service at Opus Management, Ikun M. Soedradjat Senior Consultant in Organization Services for PT. Dunamis Intermesa, and Scott Beckwith Executive Services Manager for Pt Theiss Indonesia. The panelists were able to provide insightful opinion and information drawn from their own experience managing and motivating employees across a range of businesses and industries where conditions as well as objectives varied. In addition to their summary opinions the panelists also provided anecdotal examples to help frame their opinions in a relevant context and provide illustrative background for how they were able to motivate their own teams. Guests had an opportunity to share their experiences with the panel and also ask questions regarding their own current challenges and goals.The format of a round table discussion amongst peers proved to be an ideal environment for professionals to exchange ideas and information in a valuable and productive way.
   Teresa Amabile’s work spanned 15 years of study and feedback from business professionals sharing their own candid and honest opinions on what motivated them.  This information was untainted by company or HR department influence and is as pure a source as any available. The statistics and results produced may challenge some of our established conceptions about what motivates employees to give their very best to the company.
Five primary motivating factors emerged as being statistically most effective in energizing employees, and surprisingly money was not at the top of the list. a Perceived sense of progress in ones work ranked as the single most effective motivator for employees, followed by personal recognition, having clear goals to pursue, compensation, and interpersonal support.
A pivotal quotation from Teresa’s text reads: “there's one thing that stands out as the strongest motivator and it's something that managers--most managers are completely unaware of. And that is simply making progress in meaningful work”. The identification of ‘progress’ as the single outstanding motivator gives those responsible for organisation and individual development a whole lot to think about. The implications for training and for line manager behaviours and habits are significant. Scott Beckwith, in commenting on the insights observed that this implies a lot more attention to milestones along the way, and regular reference to accomplishments of those milestones. Attention to this will enhance motivation considerably. For soft skill trainers, linking motivation to the feeling of making progress will change their priorities in Motivational training – and line managers will recognise that they have significant role to play ion making the day-to-day work environment positively motivating.

So how do we ensure that we ‘fit’ people to jobs in a way that will give the best probability of motivation? As Teresa emphasises right from the start, employees contribute the highest productivity when they are doing a job they are capable of, and that they like. The message for selection is “hire for behaviours and preferences”, once you have established the basic capability. Skills can be trained – behaviours are harder, and preferences – what I like doing and what I dislike doing – very difficult.

As you can see money or compensation ranked second to last. The study shows that money is why we show up to work, but it is not what makes us give our best or give our extra discretionary effort. Money buys attendance and loyalty, but it does not purchase excellence. Money is how we come to possess the greatest people, but not how we get greatness out of them. Understanding peoples’ true motives is the key to unlocking the greatness within them, and personal recognition for a job well done is perhaps the most motivating reward an employee can receive. Many of us may need to consider this and apply it to our own models in order to objectively determine just what level of support we are giving to our own teams.
   While positive motivators were the focus of the event, an interesting fact arose out of TereseaAmabile’s study and work, that being the effect of de-motivators.  The effect and importance of de-motivators is something that all HR professionals and managers need to appreciate. While a positive motivator can move us one step forward, a de-motivator can move us many steps backward. De-motivators can be much more costly and damaging than motivators are productive and constructive. Understanding the impact of de-motivators and how to minimize them is one key way to increase employee productivity and output. The study revealed how seemingly trivial events can actually attack moral and de-motivate an otherwise productive employee.  We must all take note of this and try to find ways to remove impediments to productivity in our own environments.
   Feeling that we are making progress toward our HR, and productivity goals is something that we are all concerned with today. The perception of forward movement and measureable progress is one of the ways that we are able to judge the effect of our strategies and practices. How can we use the lessons and information shared in Teresa Amabile’s study to make a difference in the perception of progress within our own companies?  The example presented by the company Google and its motivation initiatives was put forward by Ms. Amabile, and is a favorite discussion point these days because of its radical and innovative approach. We may not all be able to offer free gourmet lunches, day care and complimentary massages to employees, but certainly we can do more than we are to promote and provide a healthier environment, moral, and corporate culture. While we consider what these initiatives may cost in commitment and investment we must also ask ourselves what is the cost of employees who for whatever reason are not performing at their true potential?
We are proud to say that the British Chamber of Commerce round table discussion on employee motivation was a significant event. Professionals were able to receive information on recent studies on the topic of employee motivation while sharing their own ideas and experiences with colleagues. A panel of local experts was on hand to share their own expertise as consultants who address this very issue daily in their careers. The British Chamber of Commerce is committed to supporting the business community here in Indonesia with future events similar to this one.  Members and guests are invited to join us at our next event where we hope to share more valuable resource with you as well as benefit from any contribution you may wish to make.  We look forward to seeing you at the next round table event.