This post is so very different, even if it’s an off-topic one, from what I usually post on my blog. But considering the fact that I have been witnessing some of the worst things that directly relates to this topic, I think it’s quite timely.

I read this post, Motivating Employees Can Simply Be a Choice of Promotion or Prevention, posted on TLNT – The Business of HR, about how employees get motivated; either a promotion or a prevention. Thanks to @OfficeVibe to share this post.

To just brief you on this, an employee can get motivated in a typical corporate environment to perform well: to get promoted and climb up the corporate ladder OR to play it safe and prevent undesired. Both have it’s own pros and cons.

In my opinion, at times, promotion oriented motivation could easily lead one to become power-hungry and become selfish in achieving his/her goals that are totally self-centred. It easily poisons one’s attitude to put his/her organisation’s goals down. If this person is at middle level in an organisation hierarchy to whom people report, it could get worser than you might imagine. He/she becomes the biggest threat to an organisation than even the organisation’s competitors. I have witnessed this big time in the very recent past. So that makes this topic so relevant to me personally.

In a stark contrast, prevention oriented motivation could easily lead one to become completely oblivious unless his/her contribution is duly noticed by management and reward him/her without wasting any time. This person becomes oblivious when management fails to notice and recognise. Also, this approach may quite easily make the management to believe that such person would work and contribute irrespective of whether he/she is recognised and rewarded or not.

While promotion oriented approach may backfire at an organisation’s health, prevention oriented approach may backfire at the individual’s career and growth.

Big question hanging in front of me: How To Strike A Balance Between Both?

Do not hesitate to share your thoughts in the comments section.

VAIDY