Whatever social scientists tell you, the best way to motivate people is to give them money. The best way to persuade them to do something is to give a good answer to "What is in it for me?".
However, there will be many instances in which your pockets will not be as deep as they should ... and you will simply not have the cash to reward/motivate your workforce. There are, however, other ways ... and open, enthusiastic recognition for their efforts is one of them.
A military historian once said that "soldiers march on glory, not on money" and there is much truth in this. Armies throughout history have struggled to even pay, clothe and feed their men ... No wonder that they reward with medals and promotions to higher ranks. In the Wars of Independence of Latin America, a cash-strapped Simon Bolivar actually doubled the ranks in his armies, so that he could multiply the number of promotion steps possible. Thus, there were two captains: the "capitán graduado" and the "capitán efectivo". You got promoted first from "graduado" to "efectivo", and only then to "major" ... of which there were also two ranks. At some point in time, a third rank within a rank was created: "vivo y efectivo". The promotions went with a slight increase in pay, but what motivated people was the higher rank. That is to say, the recognition.
Some big companies do this ... they might have, say, 12 classes of employees, 3 classes of executives, and 3 of Directors ...
A less complicated way of motivating people is to openly say: "Bloody well done! Thanks very much!" ... if possible in front of co-workers. The "slap on the back" tends to do wonders ... unfortunately, we see less of it that of its cousin, the stab in the back.
My dad, a factory manager for 40 years and one who retired without a single day on the dole, was very good at this. He introduced the janitor as "gentlemen, we have THE BEST janitor in the world" ... and convinced everyone that the plan had the best cook, the best driver, the best lathe operator ... and presumably the best Union leader ... although my father, a bit of a cold warrior, always maintained that "that horrible man" was on the pay of Moscow .... that was in the 1980s.
The best lesson, however, comes from the Duke of Wellington, who must have known a thing or two about leadership. Wellington who, like Nelson, expected that "every man did his duty" did not think much of congratulations or "thank you" notes. He did not expect them from him, and only later in life he realized that others did. On his death-bed, when asked what he could have done better, he said: "I should have given more praise".
People seldom remember what you did. People seldom forget how you made them feel.
All said and done, however ... The Nation rewarded Wellington handsomely with promotions in army ranks and in the peerage, and with cash payments ... Which goes to show that big pockets are still the most effective rewarding tool.
The "military virtues"
