Hi to all Linkedin Readers,
I just wanted inputs from your side that at the time of recession period in current circumstances what kind of methods companies are involved into in motivating the employees? Like in Wipro , it has a unique package called Encore which is essentially a basket of nonmonetory rewards given to motivate employees or in NIIT where there is practice of naming a conference room or office or training room after the name of the most outstanding employee of the year. The naming is done ceremoniously, the employee’s family is invited, a cake is in order and all employees assemble for felicitation.
In between two of the most popular methods employees are involved are gift certificate and cash rewards. It could be length of service or exceptional Performance.
Kindly do share your experience or email me @ rameshwar.gupta@yash.com
Regards,
Rameshwar Gupta
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1. The best way in my opinion is to engage your employees – they need to feel valued and included in decision making. Cake and tea or even a gift voucher may not motivate all people – I will see it as an insult. Show me that you consider my input as valuable and that my opnion counts.
-Aletta Michalopoulos
(OD/Talent Management Specialist)
2. don’t think this is a good idea.
What I think employees need is answers:
1. How is the company doing? Will it be in business six months from now? A year? What plans are being made?
2. If layoffs are instituted, are they fair and across the board? Has every step been taken to cut costs before cutting people?
3. Are laid-off staff being treated fairly? Decent severance, no cutting people two weeks before retirement, no noises about “but he has a family to support” when I am a single woman.
4. Am I getting honest, regular communications from top brass, rather than incomprehensible, jargon-ridden chirps?
5. Is my effort appreciated? If I’ve taken on someone else’s responsibilities in addition to mine, is it taken account of?
6. Are austerity measures — cuts or eliminations of raises, bonuses, the company match — across the board?
7. Do I have the sense that corporate politics are on hold for now?
8. Does management continue its regular activities or hide in its offices?
9. Do we feel respected and treated as fairly as possible?
Tea and cake and little prizes are for kids. When adult employees need is honesty. Besides, why spend money on the program when a gadget’s price might save someone’s job?
You don’t need to motivate people with toys in this environment. Honesty and continued employment do just fine.
-Susan Schwatz
AVP, Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., financial marketing write
3. My advice
1. An interesting and challenging career development plan that being tied to a succession plan should be instrumental in creating a strong sense of permanence in employees having the willingness of growing professionally in a company that is supportive about their professional expectations.
2. Promoting a culture driven by innovation, in collaborative environments that being technologically enabled and actively supported by senior management commitment will be instrumental in creating a strong sense of purpose around an inspiring vision.
3. An influential and empowered leadership with the courage and self-determination of motivating, engaging and encouraging to high-performance teams integrated by talented and knowledgeable professionals to transform an inspiring business vision in competitive and innovative products and services.
4. Encouraging a corporate culture in virtue of which Senior Management offer, encourage and promote true opportunities of empowerment to their most valuable employees when working multidisciplinary in corporate projects where they may display their differentiating skills, outstanding competences, and valuable experiences in an enterprise-wide context.
5. An excellent initiative for engaging and retaining valuable employees is by developing corporate programs that help to the most valuable employees to avoid burnout by promoting an heathy balance between life and work.
6. A dinner for two; a week-end in a paradisiac touristic destination, 3 extra-days paid of vacation and/or a fashionable electronic device as an iPod have an enormously positive motivator effect in achieving more enthusiastic supporters, committed employees and motivated professionals. In short, a workplace environment that being encouraged and supported by senior Management, recognize, celebrate and reward employee´s commitment and outstanding performance
7. When a company communicates systematically to its workforce and involves to their employees in corporate social responsibility projects helpful and relevant to its communities, is creating a favorable framework where most of the employees feel justified pride and satisfaction of working in a prestigious and socially conscious company.
8. Management dominantly applies a managerial style of active and participative collaboration where a knowledge sharing attitude within of a culture driven by innovation and with a clear strategic alignment on which the business “big picture” is coherently and systematically communicated, shared, analyzed and improved have a profound and determinant effect in ensuring employee´s engagement in a highly competitive and uncertain business environment.
9. Offering a competitive salary and an excellent compensation with frequent adjustments according the job market dynamic helps to create in the relevant employees a positive awareness regarding to the initiatives of a people-conscious company in providing true satisfaction to its employees.
10. When the company is successful in global markets, have had an illustrious history and its brand is really remarkable and prestigious, its employees will have reasons to feel genuine pride and commitment in being part of such a prestigious company.
An organisation can be loved by their employees when this organisation excels in developing Employer Brand Management practices to generate workplaces where an employee can feel pride and satisfaction for belonging to an organisation where he/she is considered, respected and recognized.
The Great Place to Work Institute, located in San Francisco, USA has developed practices to improve five cultural dimensions (Credibility, Respect, Fairness, Pride and Camaraderie) to pursuit this purpose. Google, Cisco Systems and Starbucks are excellent examples of empowered organizations that excel both in providing support, opportunities and excellent compensation to their employees and in their customer care attitude
-Octavio Ballesta
Corporate Strategist ★ Business Leader ★ Management Consultant
4. Hi Rameshwar,
I think there are two different concepts here. Motivating, to me, is forward-looking: how to make people get invested in the company’s future. Then we have essentially “thanksgiving” for past service. The gift baskets and ceremony make great examples of the latter. But I am not sure they would qualify as motivating (somehow I don’t see people working harder in order to get a gift basket, although they will be pleased to receive it).
To motivate people for the future, I would recommend three approaches:
(1) Communicate. Don’t leave your employees in the dark with regards to the company’s current situation and prospects. Few things turn people off like the feeling that they are being left out. If you trust them with the truth, they will trust you in turn.
(2) Make people feel that they and their work are important to the company. This is not a one-day celebration event, but a day-in, day-out engagement. Ask for input, give feedback, recognize a job well done. Make people feel like people, not just human resources.
(3) If you can’t guarantee people’s jobs and you have to let some of them go, make an effort to help them along: free training, introductions to job agencies, recommendations to other companies that may be hiring. This is going to motivate those who are staying, because they will see you as an employer who cares and goes the extra mile, even in a bad situation.
Best wishes,
-Alina Dijmarescu
IT Project Manager ● Financial Services, Banking, Real Estate, Hospitality
5. My take on this is:
1. I don’t try to motivate employees. Motivation is for donkeys – carrot and stick. What I try to do with employees is to create a motivational environment within which they are working; one in which they get up every morning looking forward to coming to work rather than feeling they have to come to work.
2. Encouragement for me is the key. This is particularly so in these tough economic times.
My two cents.
-George Polak
Accomplished B2B Sales and Marketing Leader
6. Throught my career I’ve found that ensuring everyone on the team (or in the group) understands how they are a part of the bigger picture has always been the biggest motivator. Keeping people involved and helping them to embrace the goals and objectives of the long-term plan makes coming to work worthwhile, which translates into motivation. Motivation comes from feeling your value and worth. Of course, some of this must be inherent and come from within, but the other part of the equation is comes from appreciation from the employer.
-Alma Seidel
(Americas Customer Service Manager)
7. the only thing that an employee cares is his job.
if you’re transparent with them about Company’s financial situation, tactic, strategy and plans for the future I guess this is more than enough.
you’ve to blast any suspect and reassure your employees despite the news you hear on newspapers, tv or web showing a cristal clear strategy that consolidates your company
-Riccardo Rasponi
Technical Sales Representative at Dell
8. People are motivated by so many different things (ain’t humans brilliant!?) that there’s no ‘one size that fits all’ here. Some will want total reassurance that their job is safe … and you’d be lying if you go there, unless you’re operating in the undertaking or tax collection sectors. Some want a bonus you can’t afford. Some would like a level of inclusion that promises to drag your organisation to a grinding halt.
That said, one thing almost all humans have in common is a real thirst for collective effort and shared meaning – as participants in families, companies, sports teams, religious organisations, etc, we’re capable of almost superhuman effort – effort that’s *intrinsically* satisfying.
So – with Roger D’Aprix (The Credible Company) my priority would be to focus *everyone* on your competitors, and your performance relative to them. Overall sector performance is not going to be a good story to tell for several months – but our performance relative to theirs can still be a source of pride and energy.
Focusing people outwards on the threats they *can* do something about will help them understand that they are in this together, and foster some (for want of an anglosaxon term that quite captures this) esprit de corps. At that point, performance and achievement becomes its own reward.
So – what can you tell your employees about the competition? Do you really know much about them? Is it accurate? Is it sufficiently challenging? Is it regular? Can you give them a space to think about constructive responses, to contribute answers to the challenge? … there’s a lot of potential there.
-Adam Hibbert
Group communications manager, Aviva plc
9. In a recession I find that the best way to motivate employees is to post a series of updated stats on a wall. Those are:
1) Current rate of unemployment
2) Current rate of household repossessions
3) Current rate of personal debt
That and bonuses directly to outputs that are realistic in the current climate. I find that hard cash says more than any pat on the back.
-Charles Knight
Owner, KBS Consulting
10. hi
Create an evviroment of belonging in organization.
Communicate to employes about current sutuation of the comany.
Involve them in some creative assignment , encourage and help the employes to take some entrepreneural initiatatives.
Try to remove the fear/uncertainity of current job and make the employes feel confident of their skills.
Layoffs/downsizing if has to be done , communicate well in advance .also keep the door open for future hiring of layed off emplyee in the same organisation if situation improves.
– Manoranjan Mishra
SAP SD Consultant
11. Hi
I would look at motivation at 3 levels:
Organizational: Regular communication by the executive team with all through informal meetings, realistically positive talk and upward feedback.
Team: Managers should engage in management by objective since it would reduce the uncertainty of the team. Public appreciation of the best team also works well.
Individual level: HR and line mangers must engage in consultative and inclusive discussions, counseling sessions, and career planning. If any achiever sees a clear career plan linked to his/her values, goals and skills, the person will think several times before quitting.
-Soma Pal
Behavioral/Softskills Trainer
12. With due respect to all the seniors I would like to put up my suggestion/opinion as follows:
Considering Finance subject, High returns in low period will subject to Market Risks which will be higher than normal returns.
So first of all, what I think is anyone who enters in the field which cannot guarantee security or which itself is insecure of its existence, should prepare self of whatever circumstances might occur in future.
Looking into the IT field its like a Beauty kit to human being. It makes human ugly only when it is affordable.
So to my knowledge, it wont matter even if any company take steps to motivate the employees would really be effective. We cant change the situation by motivation and stuff like that….
Such motivations can act like an anaesthesia which remains for a limited time in which the doctor can finish his tasks on the patient and the patient is again back to from where he started with some increased bank balance of doctor.
The only motivation would be on the employee’s end and not at the employer’s end as a whole. Because frankly speaking any Limited Company will not be for Employee, nor for the Society, but for the Employer itself.
So to be honest, its the employee’s job to keep oneself motivated of the situation, because the decision to work in a particular field/industry is wholly on him/her. No field/industry is responsible to the situation faced by him/her.
Concluding my opinion:
It is not the Conditions around you, but the decisions that you make take you wherever you go….
Best Regards,
Abhinay
Associate Consultant – SAP Practice at Yash Technologies
Cultural Difference
Posted on: 31/01/2009
Hi,
Every Country and Every Organisation has its own business culture. Like in China, maintaining eye contact during a discussion is considered offensive and in many European countries, it is rude to refuse dinner invitations while conducting business. In the US, business conversation may take place during meals. But unless inititated by host, it is rude to talk business over lunch in Czeh Republic, Italy and Greece.
With the growing knowledge of different cultures, the advent of global economy has changed the way we work. One of the crucial changes that happend is of Global Economy and need of effective communication across various cultures and boundaries.
Firms have come up with different programmes to enhance cultural competencies of there associates so that they can built a better rapport with customers and their colleagues across the border.
So my question to all linkedin viewers is that
1. how was your experience when you had gone for business trip or personnel visit to any other country?
2.What kind of culture you have experienced there? How was it quite different from your country.
3. Had your organisation had given any formal training prior to going abroad. If yes, what were the methods involved and how beneficial was it for you?
4. What kind of changes did u felt in terms of Economy, Globalisation, cultural difference and what was impact on your mind after observing and analysing it. Where you at a loss or gain?
Regards,
Rameshwar Gupta
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1. I have been to almost 20 countries for the same except 2 out of them which were personal visit.
Speaking, Sitting, Offering and having a business talk all these countries have different culture and work ethics.In some countries sitting having leg up on leg is supposed to be stupid. Overriding taks is always considered rude. What i means that don’t start talk untill first completes and reachesa logical end.In some countries speaking is the only way to express but only a few.Specially while taking to business counter parts some countries dinner and all is business as usual but in some it is unethical.
In our organization we have a complete website on cross culture. You first answer some questions and map your culture and behaviour and then it will map to almost 27 countries and tell you where you fit in and where to improvise.
First of all there is no loss while meeting so many people with different culture.Economy wise if i compare my country not too far behind now.
Regards,
Uday Bhatt
2. I have just returned from two weeks in Italy and have traveled to England several times, as well as throughout Europe, to Turkey and to the Republic of China.
What Martin says is absolutely right: the U.K. and the U.S. are two nations separated by a common language. If you miss this, you miss a number of cultural distinctions. He outlined a few. I’ll point out that Brits tend to think U.S. nationals are purely crazy for our insistence on ICE in drinks.
In a way, although the cultural differences are more pervasive to me in countries other than the U.K., I try to be a good guest or businesswoman who has done my homework. This means I privately read up on business or social customs. If I’m traveling for pleasure, I ditch the “honorary toddler” tourist clothes and concentrate on looking well-groomed and unobtrusive. I try to find out what colors people in a given area prefer. If I’m in a country that has highly conservative underpinnings, I bring black and I cover up, including a scarf that can go over my head.
I become as polite as I can.
It is possible to become ill from culture shock. I’ve managed it, unfortunately, but at least I did it privately.
What has helped me the most is science fiction: we are all alients to one another and need to get along. So I assume I’m in a First Contact situation and act accordingly.
It works really well.
Susan Schwartz
AVP, Oppenheimer & Co. Inc., financial marketing writer
3. Hi Mr. Gupta,
Yes cultural differences exist and one needs to be aware of the same. Without even stepping abroad we can witness it on the Indian soil. Different states and cities have differing cultures, while in Northern India voice tends to be louder and in the South it stays at a lower level for a lot of historical reasons.
Different cities within a state have different ways of doing things and we see variation within and between.
From the experience outside of India across at least 10 different countries, I have seen that no two countries even come close to doing things simialry and they have their unique way of approaching people, matters, business dynamics including all the way from dining to paying the bills.
One thing that I have noticed as a common denominator in a business environment is the results we deliver. Once they are convinced of it and can actually experience it the cultural factor is not significant. That doesn’t mean to say that we can behave in a way that is rude to their culture, however, they become more flexible in understanding why we do certain things the way we do and the factorial differences tend to take the back seat.
By the same token if the results are not seen or experienced in a way that is a surprise, the reaction can actually be influenced significantly with cultural differences.
Lessons learned — Maintain cultural compatibility by being with the host who can guide you, and always be thankful for the hospitality shown and respond with humility and genuine sincerity and the results should less likely be a surprise.
This may have changed lately and anything different would be of value to me.
Dr. Shree Nanguneri
President and CEO, Senior Master Black Belt, Polymer Consultant, Millennium Global Business Solutions Inc. USA
4. Hi Rameshwar,
Good Question!
Business today is something which has gone global in all terms, weather its Technology or a small business meet. It is really important for us to be updated and aware of what exactly lies on the other side. I have been across to a few countries for both official and personal travel. The Major aspect I found is the in person behavior and mutual respect. Often you are treated with respect dsnt matter to which community or part of the world you belong to.
Talking business, of course the culture differs from India.
With those modern IT and Non IT giants rooting up in India with its offshore business units we surely have adapted the technology and trend but still we lead our work as per our standards.
Employees still in India are found with casual rather semi formal attire @ work. which is what you wont find abroad.
Communication media too differs.
Though am proud of we Indians being able to adapt the new mode of working style, where in I find India to be soon one among the leading technology driven country.
Regards,
Rahul
Sr. Manager – Delivery
5. I have been able to travel to Vietnam, Soul Korea, Hong Kong, Costa Rica and Canada.
All my trips were business and vacation mixed. Yes they all were cultural different to the mid-US. but not to much with Canada. Even though I may have tripped over my inexperience of these diversities I always pardoned myself and things moved on. I was never told of what happens just “go with the flow” For instance in Vietnam after dinner when using a toothpick it is customary to shield your work with the other hand. Why I never really asked but every time I needed to do some tooth work I did it like everyone else. I still do this to this day.
I also learned that the Asian areas I visited talk very low. Not a whisper but low in a very calming way. At times it almost put me to sleep because it was so low toned. Again I found out that in the US, our language is a bit in your face dialect. This with our arm movements and body reactions while talking makes us a bit more aggressive. I wonder if that add to jobs stress levels.
One of the fun ones I got to teach was American football. Vietnam just got ESPN and the games were on early morning. The US time of Monday night. Anyway I had befriended a local and he and I shared a cool beer watching the game as he asked me, with the best of his English about what was going on. He told me it was like sumo. I said “yes you are right it does have a bit of sumo.” That was a fun time.
All of my trips have been self aware. There were no special training or information exchanges, just my ability to adapt and learn as I go. I had to become my own diplomat and have enjoyed all the cultures, without fear and have taken my life experiences to heart.
As to the globalization part it was a loss and a gain. I noticed how the economy HAS shifted to developing areas and the loss of my local economy and the hindrances it has provide for the people there. But because of the loss I had gain not only the cultural side aspect but how to build those workable bridges that can curb and help my local’s economy all by sharing in the growth of another.
Shane Wyatt McCartney
Innovator Providing Economic Improvement
6. Cultural differences are very real – the main reason I won’t visit some countries about 10 years ago – just because it would have been a waste of time – but I think the ownership of understanding cultural differences – dos and don’ts should rely on the person – wow what a great way for the one on one relationship building with international co-workers or friends in those perspective countries
Jan Simpson
President, Simpson Management Group
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Posted on: 22/01/2009
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