Morale and Motivation
Here are some definitions:
Morale
- an intangible term used for the capacity of people to maintain belief in an institution or a goal, or even in oneself and others.
- the capacity of a group of people to pull together persistently and consistently in pursuit of a common purpose". Alexander H. Leighton,
- the mental and emotional condition (as of enthusiasm, confidence, or loyalty) of an individual or group with regard to the function or tasks at hand
- a sense of common purpose with respect to a group
Motivate
- to stimulate toward action
And here are some origins of these words:
Morale
The French language distinguishes between
- le moral – temperament
- la morale – morality
Latin
- Mores – ‘that which is normal and customary”
Motivation
Latin
- movere – to move
From these we see a tension between the implied constancy of morale and the need to move on that is implicit in motivation.
Motivation can be from the inside or outside.
If motivation is to be from the outside, the question is: who provides it. If it is correct that morale seeps downwards, the top person clearly has a major role. Some observations from a respected leader, who was recognised by his employees as putting each of these suggestions into effect assiduously, are:
- The top person is responsible for motivation. I tried to do this by:
- being the hardest worker
- setting direction
- acknowledging employees’ contributions
- making it possible for my employees to retain their dignity – by standing between them and criticism from the outside.
- Knowing my employees’ personal circumstances and acknowledging them (without pretending to be a personal friend).
