Page 55 - AIMA : Foundation Day Souvenir

fail to reinforce meaning in order to create motivation. Companies that reinforce employee hierarchies fail to make employees feel unique and valuable. An added investment in meaning generates increased productivity. It is the leader with whom the onus lies to create motivation at the workplace.
law 2: The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of human soul
A. Creativity is next to divinity. People associate value with the things they put effort into even if those things are not particularly unique. The greater the effort, the more value they assign to the results, even if they are of objectively worse quality. Employees feel a greater attachment to products they assembled or chose to design themselves. Thus, creativity at the workplace is an important cornerstone of employee motivation. Workers who are motivated to be creative are often more productive and inventive than those who are not.
law 3: Non-monetary rewards are the true motivational rewards
A. Personalised rewards. The offer of a reward can be a strong motivator as long as the reward supports the meaning of the work. Leaders must think constantly about the rewards they give to their workers and how they are motivating their teams. It is recommended that rewards should be personalised rather than keeping it the same for every person regardless of interest or suitability. This ensures that employees feel that the leadership recognises them individually, is interested in them specifically, and cares that they feel comfortable and accepted in the workplace. Some rewards are unquantifiable.
Applying monetary value to interpersonal relationships is often upsetting to both parties because it can imply that the entire relationship has been about an exchange of goods rather than about helping one another to achieve a mutual goal. Rewards like attention, recognition, responsibility, credit, equity, fairness, freedom to exercise creative independence, growth opportunities, etc. can never be equated with
money. The human brain deals with money differently than it deals with other objects of value. Even if someone brings a pie worth $60 to a family dinner, the impact is more rewarding to the relationship than if that person wrote a check for $60 and gave it to the host.
law 4: Nothing lasts forever, not even motivation.
A. Beyond ephemera. We all know the eternal truth, that everyone who is born on this planet shall see an end, and that death is a stealth motivator. The reality is that we are perishable, and somebody no sooner can replace us and take our place in the organisation when we have reached fate’s end. Being able to work on something meaningful is a very crucial aspect between life and death. Employees may ease emotions of worthlessness in the job by generating purpose for themselves and others. Building meaning can also be connoted to leaving a legacy, it does not necessarily mean doing something great that no one else has done. This could also mean repairing ties with colleagues in the organisation, revisiting the way we approach our work, or establishing a program or foundation that continues to assist others after the originator has passed away. The desire to make a lasting impact shall motivate employees to do meaningful things as employees, in the end, are more scared of a pointless existence than of death.
Epilogue
The crux of Ariely’s idea of motivation revolves around ‘meaning’. If employees find meaning in their work and are valued for whatever they do, their motivation levels will always be at their peak. The best that any organisation can do is attach meaning to the employee’s work as a sense of meaning will win over the impediments that hinder employees’ growth in the organisation.
A great psychiatrist and author, Viktor Frankl, has noted how the inherent human yearning for meaning is so strong that people search for their life’s purpose even in the direst of
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