The Curious Case of Motivation

When I was thinking about motivation level of an employee over a period of time, I couldn't stop myself from comparing it with 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button'...

When an employee joins an organization, he /she is very excited and motivated. So similar to Benjamin Button's age, we start our job at the maximum level of motivation...

We venture into various adventures through out our career, learn so many things on the job. Same as those adventures of Benjamin Button. These new adventure help us to keep the motivation levels high.

Eventually our motivation level starts to decline. We get bored of routine work, same policies, same procedures, same people and same challenges. Obviously the saturation level to lose the motivation is very individualistic. But everyone, some day or the other, faces the similar emotions.

Organizations must try to prolong this tipping point through various strategies to address 3 basic necessities of job satisfaction - independence, competence and linkage between efforts and rewards (Malcolm Gladwell) . These initiatives can include job rotation, scope for ideation (something like providing dedicated time to generate new ideas, work on them and also reward the failed ideas along with successful ones), relevant trainings, consideration for employee's career aspirations, provide independence to work, guide and direct employee rather than pushing him /her etc.

Organizations should never demotivate the already self motivated employees (Jim Collins). That's the worst thing one can do. Most of the times, other than actual work, the hygiene at work impacts this most. Over complicated processes, unjust policies, interrupting but non cooperating management, basic infrastructure can speed up the process of de-motivation.

Otherwise, as Benjamin Button's age starts reducing, our motivation starts diminishing.

Benjamin Button dies infant, similarly our motivation dies and we either keep on doing the same job over and over again, just to get the pay cheque at the month end or switch the jobs to open a new curious case of Benjamin Button.

Hence I think, 

it's not about retaining the employees, but it's all about retaining their motivation level...