A lot of corporate success: Motivation, Appreciation, Goals. Do you have everything fine-tuned?
Jun 24, 2025
I have sat in many meetings and observed what works and what doesn’t. As a management consultant and as one who has led people myself. And you know what? The success of a company does not only rely on a great product or strategy. It primarily rests on people. And whether those people are pulling together and doing things wholeheartedly depends on three pillars: Motivation, fair Rewarding, and clearly set Goals. This is the real POTENTIAL of your company.
Maybe you’re thinking, "the same old story." But practice shows that many companies forget these basics or brush them aside. And that is a mistake that is damn expensive! With over twenty years of experience in management at the highest levels, I am convinced that understanding and effectively working with these principles is the cornerstone of achieving sustainable business success.
Are your people "just at work," or "living for work"? Global numbers speak clearly.
This is not just my feeling from practice. Look at global statistics. Do you know how many employees worldwide are truly engaged? Those who do their work with internal drive, are interested in the outcome, and want to improve? Only 23 %! Most, a full 62%, are physically at work but mentally elsewhere. They simply "put in" their eight hours. And worse, 15 % of people are even actively disengaged. They are dissatisfied and often harm, without realizing it.
This low engagement is not just about bad moods in the office. It has a huge economic impact. It is estimated that companies lose trillions of dollars annually because of this. That’s a real wake-up call for every boss and a clear signal: ignoring POTENTIAL is a luxury you cannot afford.
In this article, I would like to share with you what I have learned over the years in business about how to set these three pillars so that your company runs smoothly and people work for you and with you wholeheartedly. I will rely on my experiences, show you what the data says, and give you specific recommendations.
Of course, money is important. But do you really think it is the only driver? Practice (and research) says otherwise.
Many bosses think: "We’ll give them a raise, and they’ll work harder!" Yes, financial reward is undoubtedly an important aspect, no debate about it. But its influence on long-term motivation and engagement is often overrated. It’s like morning coffee. It gives you a boost, but it wears off quickly.
So what truly keeps people in a company and drives them forward?
I talk to people in companies, lead teams, and see that in addition to the salary, which they take for granted, other factors play an increasingly significant role. And they often determine whether they stay in the company or not. These have included:
Recognition: the feeling that someone notices and values your work.
Opportunities for advancement: the chance to grow career-wise or in expertise.
Challenging and stimulating work: work that excites you and pushes you forward.
Status: how your position and role are perceived in the company and externally.
Being entrusted with important tasks: confirms how much your boss trusts you.
Individual approach and care: a small gift, shared experiences, or time from the boss for you – all of these show how much the boss cares about you.
The importance of recognition and appreciation? These are not just words; they are solid data!
The facts speak clearly: regular appreciation, even just occasionally, can work wonders. Studies indicate that it can increase engagement and productivity by 40 % and loyalty to the company by 25 %. Employees who are appreciated at least once a month are 36 % more productive and engaged. Managers who provide good feedback and recognition have teams that are 40 % more engaged. Do you see? The feeling that you notice and appreciate your people has a fundamental impact on motivation and satisfaction. That’s why I say: bosses, look for excuses to praise and appreciate. And do it in a way that is meaningful and relevant for the employee. Sometimes it just takes a mention in a meeting, an invitation to breakfast, or tickets to a favorite team’s match.
We are not just bricklayers. We want to build temples!
Today, especially among the younger generation, there is a desire for work that has a deeper meaning. No one wants to just be a cog in the machine. We want to know that our work has an impact and contributes to something larger. When you show people how their piece of work fits into the overall picture of the company and what you are building together, you gain a completely different level of motivation.
I have used a simple example for years in introductory training for salespeople: imagine three bricklayers. You ask one what he does, and he says, "I lay bricks." The second one replies, "I’m building a wall." And the third one, with a spark in his eye, declares: "I’m building a temple." Can you feel the difference? My goal was for my people to see that "temple." Companies and their managers should clearly communicate their mission and values.
Rewarding: more than just a paycheck.
Rewarding is a key element and should be strategically designed. Sure, money must make sense and match the market. In the Czech Republic, there is significant employee expectation regarding wage growth. Most expect a raise, but companies’ plans often fall short of their expectations – 74 % of companies will raise by only up to 5 %, which 71 % of employees consider insufficient. This mismatch can significantly dampen motivation, so be careful about that and communicate transparently about wages.
However, strategic rewarding is more complex. It includes:
Bonuses and incentives: well-designed bonus programs can be an effective tool. When set up well and linked to clear, achievable goals, they can boost performance by as much as 44 %. The key is careful design and alignment with goals. Employees must understand how the bonus works and why they received (or didn’t receive) it, and the programs should be fair and transparent.
Benefits: employee benefits are becoming an increasingly important factor for retaining talent. It is no longer just meal vouchers. Today, flexibility in benefits is in trend – younger employees want recreational activities, older ones may want pension contributions. And companies need to keep an eye on tax changes (like those recent in 2024) to ensure benefits make sense. My experience? Forget about universal packages. Find out what your people truly want and need and offer benefits that are genuinely valuable and motivating for them. Such experiences and non-financial things cannot simply be copied and create that real added value that keeps people in the company.
The total reward? Connect money with soul.
The modern approach to rewarding emphasizes the concept of total rewards, which includes both financial and psychological aspects. Praise, feedback, the feeling of purpose – all of these are "psychological rewards" that have a huge impact. Find the right combination that meets employees' needs while simultaneously supporting the organization’s goals. Key is to be able to notice signals that the team or someone in it is losing motivation.
Goals? Without them, you are lost. With them, you know where you’re going (and why).
Setting clear and meaningful goals is essential. Establishing clear goals? Absolutely fundamental! Studies repeatedly demonstrate their positive influence on performance and productivity. When people know what is expected of them and where they are heading, they are much more productive. More than 80 % of people achieve better results when they have specific and challenging goals set. And when you add feedback to that, performance improves by another 30 %. The Locke and Latham theory suggests that challenging, but attainable goals can improve performance by up to 90 %! That’s the brutal power of POTENTIAL goals.
How to do it?
SMART goals: the classic that works. The SMART goals framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) represents a practical methodology. It helps to turn vague ideas into a concrete plan that is clear and trackable.
OKR (Objectives and Key Results): the OKR methodology is becoming increasingly popular for setting ambitious goals and tracking progress. A great method for ambitious goals that forces you to step out of your comfort zone ("stretch goals"). For example, Google has established that achieving 60-70 % of OKRs is a success. It forces you to think big. If everything worked out, then the goals may have been insufficiently ambitious. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes… but smartly. Only a fool repeats the same mistakes over and over.
Engage people. Employees who set their own goals are 14.2 times more likely to be inspired at work and are 3.6 times more likely to be loyal to their company. When employees can set their goals themselves (or be involved in it), they understand WHY they are working on something and have a more personal relationship with it. They are also 8.1 times more likely to actively look for ways to improve their work. As I tell my salespeople: if you don’t have a goal, you are like a navigation system that doesn’t know where to go; you’re lost. You wander. When you have a goal, suddenly everything makes sense and you know where to focus your energy, what you are pursuing.
When you put all this together? Things happen!
Motivation, rewarding, and goals are not three separate compartments. They are interrelated components, interconnected vessels. When this POTENTIAL works, the whole company feels it.
Engaged people = happier customers = higher profits.
This is the chain I see in my practice everywhere. Research repeatedly confirms a strong correlation between employee engagement and business performance. Companies where people are satisfied and engaged crush the competition in the stock market. They achieve 147 % higher earnings per share. In contrast, low engagement represents significant financial losses. The "service profit chain" model explains how employee satisfaction leads to better results for employees, which in turn improves customer experience, increases satisfaction, and customer loyalty, and ultimately leads to revenue and profit growth. Simple, right?
Don’t underestimate the role of the boss.
Managers play a key role in influencing the engagement of their teams. Do you know what is interesting? Up to 70 % of the variability in team engagement can be attributed to managers. That is a huge responsibility. And unfortunately, only 30 % of managers worldwide are engaged themselves. There is a huge opportunity for improvement here. Investing in manager training – how to lead, communicate, provide feedback, and recognition – pays off big time! Trained bosses achieve engagement scores 11 % higher. Effective leadership is essential for creating a high-performance environment.
What to do now? Practical tips from the helm:
Based on the findings above and everything I have experienced and seen, I have some specific recommendations for you. This is not rocket science; more like common sense backed by data:
Start with recognition: implement a program that is timely, specific, meaningful, and offers various forms of appreciation. Praise in a timely, specific, and meaningful way. Even small non-financial things can count. Consider establishing peer-to-peer recognition.
Connect people with meaning: clearly communicate the mission, vision, and values of the company, and help employees understand how their work contributes to the overall purpose of the organization. Constantly talk about WHY the company exists. Build your "temple".
Set smart rewarding: create a strategic rewarding framework. Money must be set right. Regularly compare salaries with competitors. But also add well-thought-out bonuses linked to goals and benefits that people truly want and will use. Design performance bonuses and motivational programs that are transparent and fair, and offer a comprehensive and flexible benefits package. Think about the "total reward". Offer things that cannot be easily copied.
Don’t underestimate the power of goals: implement effective goal-setting practices. Use the SMART goals method at all levels. Don’t hesitate to try OKR for more ambitious challenges. And most importantly: Ensure regular review and feedback on the progress of goals. Engage people in this process and regularly discuss how things are going and whether the goals still make sense.