Degrees of motivation

Despite corporate cutbacks and larger workloads, most of you are ready to rise to the challenge, according to the results of a recent survey from Right Management Consultants.

In a survey of 519 fulltime U.S. workers, 83% said they are motivated by the challenges and changes facing their organization in the coming year. That breaks down into 33% of the go-getters who are “very motivated,” and 44% who are “somewhat motivated. Only 8% of workers characterized themselves as “somewhat motivated,” while a scant 6% admitted to being “very unmotivated.”

This is encouraging news for employers, and shows that most workers want to do what it takes to help their companies be profitable. “There is a tremendous opportunity for organizations to succeed by better engaging their key employees and motivating them through ongoing dialogue, clear communication and a shared investment in helping their company move forward,” says Chris Pierce-Cooke, executive vice president and head of Right Management’s organizational consulting practice.

It’s often said that a company’s best resource is its people, and companies can better tap that. Pierce-Cooke notes that many employees are surprisingly agile and adaptive to change and want to contribute to the organization. “But there must be strong leadership from the top to harness that energy for the corporate good,” he says.

While the results overall seem positive, Right Management points out that 52% of respondents described themselves as either “somewhat motivated” or “somewhat unmotivated,” not exactly strong sentiments. “If I were a CEO and knew that more than half of my workforce was feeling somewhere between OK and lethargic, I’d be taking steps to help them feel more invested and motivated,” Pierce-Cooke says.

What about you? What is the best way for your employer to motivate you? Let me know at aschurr@nww.com