I may be one of the few OM profs who think that Chapter 10, Human Resources, is the most important in our text. As a former college administrator, I agree with the conclusion in the New York Times article (Sept. 5, 2011) that “happier people do work harder”. But a recent Gallup poll finds: “People of all ages, and across income levels, are unhappy with their supervisors, apathetic about their organizations and detached from what they do”. This translates, according to the Times, into a staggering $300 billion in lost productivity annually. “When people don’t care about their jobs or their employers, they don’t show up consistently, they produce less, or their work quality suffers”.
So what does it take to keep employees happy and motivated? The answer (according to a Harvard study) is that progress in meaningful work is primary. As long as workers experience their labor as meaningful, progress is often followed by joy and excitement about the work. Ensuring that workers are happily engaged is not expensive. Well-being depends on managers’ ability and willingness to facilitate workers’ accomplishments–by removing obstacles, providing help, and acknowledging strong effort. (Which is exactly what Dr. Deming said for decades). “Promoting workers’ well-being”, writes the Times, “ isn’t just being ethical; it makes economic sense”. Those who lead 
organizations –from CEOs to small team leaders –need to recognize that their mission is to support workers’ everyday progress.
With sports on our minds, here is a video clip of what may not fit the positive motivation the article espouses. We see Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly in a rage against a player in last weekend’s game against USF.
Discussion questions:
1. Ask students what bosses had the most positive or negative motivation over them–and why.
2. Comment on the Brian Kelly video.
3. Tom Peters once said: “If you don’t sincerely care about the people who work for you, become a consultant, not a boss”. Comment.