Improving work culture to motivate your workers

This post came out from The Straits Times (6 Feb 2012)
Title - Lack of drive? Blame old-school work culture

Some pointers that I've got are:

• An answer to this problem could also lie with reforming outdated workplace and management practices. It is very often the case that a perceived lack of employee drive and motivation is a direct function of the way people are 'managed' instead of inspired, the organizational culture defined as its 'true' values and character, office politics leading to a lack of meritorious recognition and 'old school' incentive structures that don't work in the knowledge economy.
• A pervasive problem for knowledge workers is the misalignment in the work environment between economic incentives and values. Once you take qualified people and put hem in an environment that is very structured - a 'I tell you what to do and you go do it' type - that can be quite a sap on motivation.
• The most important value for a quality leader today is to believe that every individual has the potential to demonstrate drive, motivation and pride in his work. Leaders who embrace this see it as their role to empower and release everyone's full potential rather than blaming a worker for a lack of drive. 
• Bosses have to create an environment, a culture of empowerment that facilitates openness so people can thrive and do their best and want to succeed. If people can't be open with one another, that means they lack trust; if people don't trust one another, the flow of dialogue is shut down. Then, you shut down collaboration, and you shut down creativity. 
• It also boils down to company culture when it comes to workers having the confidence to venture out of their comfort zones. If you have an organization that does not tolerate failure, why would anyone take any chance?
• Leadership and motivation skills of managers have a lot to do with the level of drive among employees. They need to create the vision and purpose for their people that will inspire them to be more driven in the work that they do, because they recognise the value of it and where it is serving a wider purpose. Effective, regular face to face communication is a vital component of this type of leadership. 

Yours,
Something Small Thinking Big