Reflection on Motivation
John C. Maxwell wrote in one of his books, “A leader is great, not because of his or her
power, but because of his or her ability to empower others.” As a school administrator I find this
quote very helpful. It always reminds me to watch over my flock, the teachers under my care.
Motivating teachers every day is not an easy task. There are teachers who respond
excellently to motivation, some take it positively, while a few would just take it and would not
value its essence. Whatever the situation is I believe that these teachers are and will always be a
part of my life. They all want to be cared for not just physically but emotionally; they all want to
be fed – with encouragement, recognition, security, and hope.
Having been in the school organization for almost 20 years now I learned that if I want
my employees to be loyal, obedient, and work to the best of their abilities, start by nurturing
them. As what Dr. Manalo said, the employees in an organization are not the organization’s
property, they only work for the organization. They have a life outside the company and if
somehow, I treat my teachers with positive feelings and concern, love, and respect while they are
in the school premises then this would probably motivate them to do the same to the students and
to the other stakeholders of the school. Teachers will be motivated to go the extra mile at the
same time.
I remember when I was teaching in Mission Viejo, the director of the school Ms. Lindsay
would often ask me how I am doing in class, or is there something that I need at home, or she
would just simply tap me in the shoulder and say, “you are doing a great job with the kids.”
Undoubtedly, I could sense that she cared about me. This I passed it on to my teachers here in
the Philippines. Everyone needs to feel valued. I want them to know that God loves them and so
do I.
Another important part of motivating teachers is giving them a sense of security. People
are reluctant to work for a company if they know that they do not feel safe, and their financial
needs are not met. But when they feel secure – they trust the company and they are compensated
fairly, they will do their best and will respond positively at the same time.
Former secretary of defense and World Bank president Robert McNamara said, “Brains
are like hearts – they go where they are appreciated.” When employees are appreciated, you are
building their self-esteem, they are motivated to improve their skills and will keep on becoming
better people in the company. In school I make sure that I never miss to recognize my teachers
be it a simple task that was done extraordinarily or a major task that the team has done
wonderfully such as our regular PTC, children’s story-telling event, or a simple lesson in class
that was funny and made everyone laughed. Teachers should be recognized every time because
of the hard work they do in class. The moment that a leader failed to appreciate an employee
would cause dissatisfaction and will lead to teacher resignation eventually. Leaders should show
appreciation or recognition at every opportunity. By doing this, it will build the employees up
and motivate them to work as partners in an organization.
I believe being a leader needs a nurturing heart and an ultimate motivator. Instead of
thinking only about yourself, put others first. As much as possible I wanted to be a nurturer to
my employees. I want that when they leave the company, they will remember me as a person
who added value to their lives. Philippians 2:3 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain
conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.”