Create a great place to work - Motivated employees are crucial for an organisation's success

This post came out from The Straits Times (11 August 2015)
Title - Create a great place to work

Some pointers that I've got are:
1. Motivation
2. Bad attitude results in poor remuneration
3. Link personal effectiveness to career advancement
4. Rewards come to those who shine

On Motivation

• Staff may not openly articulate it, but they probably often ask themselves: "What's in it for me if I do this extra bit?" Some would even become resentful when their tasks increase.
• Motivation comes from the root word motive, which means "a reason to". To get anyone to do anything, there must be a good reason for doing it. In short, if you can find a strong enough reason, you will be able to get a staff to be more productive.

On A bad attitude results in poor remuneration

• Staff will bring a negative attitude to work if they are not motivated. Many employees feel overworked and underpaid. Some even go as far as to say: "you pay me peanuts, so I work like monkeys". 
• This statement really means that such employees are not giving their best. They are holding back from giving their best simply because they are not quite satisfied with their remuneration.
• In order to transform the mindsets of these employees, managers must show good reasons for them to change their mindsets. If not, they will end up in a vicious cycle - where a bad work attitude brings forth poor remuneration and bonuses, which in turn brings a bad attitude towards work.

On Link personal effectiveness to career advancement

• Employers should always ask employees to be the best that they can be at the workplace. When they took on the job, no one forced them to accept it. They readily accepted their jobs, knowing what is expected of them and what salaries they would be receiving. 
• They should not only work according to what they are paid, but they should work many rungs above their salary scale. If they are able to shine like a star and work well above their salary scale, then their employer will take notice of this good hire that is well worth his or her salary.

On Rewards come to those who shine

• When you work like a star in your organisation, you automatically become the obvious choice for the next promotion when the opportunity arrives. 
• Do not wait until there is an opening to say that you want to try out for that position. Often, the organisation requires that position to be filled immediately. 
• Most companies cannot wait for employees to acquire the skill sets required of that position. One should already be productive and efficient, and prepare themselves for any available opening. 
• If you work above your salary scale, your employer will have to close the gap and pay you accordingly, because if your employer does not, another employer will.

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big