The Value of Employee Motivation

By Mawutodzi K. Abissath

There is this popular Ghanaian proverb: “Wo nni sika a wo se aduro nnye,” which literally translates: “If you have no money then you will say that medicine is not good.”

A quick on-line research using Google search engine gives the following inspirational interpretations of the word motivation.

“Motivation is the inner power or energy that pushes one toward performing a certain action. Motivation has much to do with desire and ambition, and if they are absent, motivation is absent too.

“Actually, motivation is one of the most important keys to success. Lack of motivation either does not bring results or brings only mediocre results, whereas motivation brings faster, better and bigger results.

“Often, a person has the desire and ambition to get something done or achieve a certain goal, but lacks the push, the initiative and the willingness to take action. This shows a lack of motivation and inner drive

“There is no doubt that we live in a money-motivated world. Any amount of human relations cannot compensate for a lack of monetary reward. If the reward is right, good human relations will give that extra zest to a team, motivating them to give of their best efforts.

“The job of a manager in the workplace is to get things done through employees. To do this the manager should be able to motivate employees.”

On Tuesday, 21^st October, 2008, the Hon. Minister for Information and National Orientation (MINO), Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, made a motivational history in the life of the Information Services Department (ISD) in Accra.

On that day, for the first time in a long memory, the sector Minister put the above-quoted motivational theories or philosophical statements into practical application. This, he did by honouring 21 employees of ISD for outstanding performance at one sitting.

This special package has never happened before since the Department was established by the colonial British government during the 2^nd World War in 1939 to provide information on the progress of the war to the people of the Gold Coast at the time.

What is normally done is a kind of annual get-together whereby one best worker of the year is declared and presented with some gifts. Sometimes due to “some unforeseen circumstances beyond the control” of management the yearly party itself does not take place at all to the annoyance of most workers.

The contribution of employees of ISD to the socio-economic, political and cultural development of this country using the famous Cinema Vans in the remotest and deprived rural communities to inform, educate and entertain people focusing on issues of national interest cannot be overstressed.

Just recently when Burkina Faso was about to open its hydro-dam for spillover waters, the Volta River Authorities (VRA) had to rely on ISD employees , using the Cinema Vans cris-crossing the three Northern regions to embark on intensive public education, day and night to avert a national disaster.

Last year, without any warning, a similar exercise caused a deluge which washed away precious human and animal lives, properties and cultivated farms, which afflicted pain and suffering on our brothers and sisters, resulting in untold hardships to our northern compatriots.

It is against this backdrop that this symbolic Excellence Performance Award Scheme instituted by the Minister to motivate employees of ISD must be commended and appreciated. I say symbolic because, it is not the amount of money that went to the award winners that matters so much but the value of the scheme and the honour, recognition and appreciation given to such dedicated workers of the Department.

“The award is my own initiative to motivate the staff of ISD and demonstrate my confidence in them. Any good manager must appreciate the contribution of the staff to the success of the organisation and the need to reward excellence to attain higher productivity,” Hon Asamoah Boateng opined.

Another statement the Minister made during the award ceremony which was even more inspiring than motivating was that as a Minister, he alone cannot be every where to do the entire job. “I therefore, believe in team work and outstanding performance to make Ghana better,” he noted.

This author totally agrees with the Minister that team work is the best policy to adopt for the progress of any organisation or an institution. For our ancestors say: “One tree cannot make a forest.”

The value of employee motivation through award schemes is indispensable not only in institutions or organisations but also in the life of a nation. Otherwise, the Government would not have instituted national award to reward distinguished citizens across board. And that is why there is National Farmers Day in Ghana where fantastic awards including houses, vehicles, tractors, outboard motors, deepfreezers, television sets and many more are presented to farmers and fishermen on a declared national holiday annually.

And that is why professional bodies like the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) and the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) have all instituted magnificent National Award Schemes to recognise outstanding members of their respective associations.

The Ghana Journalists Association, for instance has been upgrading its award schemes year after year since it was instituted over 50 years ago or so. And this year’s award packages at stake are more mouth-watering than ever before. Kudos to the GJA leadership. More grease to their elbows.

As for the Ministry of Information and National Orientation’s Recognition of Excellence Award for Outstanding Performance, it is the prayer of all employees of the Ministry and the Department that the scheme will be maintained and sustained by Minister after Minister till thy Kingdom come! “Tswa, tswa, tswa Omanye aba –Yao!”

Sowing the Seed of ICT in Ghana: “Baah-Wiredu’s computer a child” is fantastic

By Mawutodzi K. Abissath

This popular adage that “Rome was not built in a day,” or the famous Chinese proverb which says that “A journey of a thousand kilometers begins with one step” is self-evident.

All Information and Communication Technology (ICT) minded countries such as China, Singapore, Malaysia, India and others, that are becoming super ICT nations on this planet of technology did not achieve their feat overnight. Singapore, for instance, embarked on her ICT revolutionary journey over 30 years ago.

On Tuesday, October 7, 2008, hardworking Ghanaian teachers were rewarded with mouth-watering prizes. The event took place at Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region of Ghana and coincided with the 14th National Best Teacher Award/World Teachers’Day, celebrated globally. This writer wishes to join hands with the Government and people of Ghana to say a Big Ayeekoo to the Ghanaian Teacher. The days when a teacher’s reward was supposed be in heaven must be over forever. (Somebody say Aaamennn!)

As a matter of fact, Ghana Government must be commended for the magnificent prizes presented to the award winning teachers. The first prize of 60.000 Ghana Cedis which went to Mr Sadique Boateng of T.I. Ahmadiayya Senior High School in Kumasi to be used for the construction of a house of his choice must be motivating enough to lure any youth to want to embrace teaching as a profession. There is still room for improvement, though.

For instance, in the very near future when Ghana’s oil boom takes off, it should be possible for all ten best teachers from each region to be awarded houses at ago Then all 170 best district teachers must be given cars each, too. In view of the key role education plays in national development, and the fact that teachers constitute the foundation upon which all other professionals are educated, only the best should be good for the teacher. Therefore, teachers must be among the best paid professionals in the country.(True or false?)

But what actually motivated this author to write this piece was the revelation by the President of Ghana, H.E. John Agyekum Kufuor, on the day of the award ceremony that very soon all Ghanaian children between the ages of five and 12 in public schools will be provided with personal computers by the government.

The Daily Graphic of Wednesday, October 8, 2008, carried a front page banner headline: “COMPUTER PER CHILD – Govt’s initiative to boost ICT skills in public schools.” According to the story, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States of America (USA), had designed some computers that would enable Ghanaian children to acquire skills in Information and Communication Technology, “which is currently the most critical basic instrument of education world-wide,” the paper stressed.

President Kufuor used the occasion to disclose that the deal for the supply of the computers was negotiated on behalf of the Government by the late Finance Minister, Hon. Kwadwo Baah-Wiredu about two years ago. That the very day the creators of these unique machines from the MIT, dubbed “Magic Computers for children” came to demonstrate the computers to him during his recent trip to the US, he received the agonising news of the transition of our beloved Finance Minister. So, in order to honour his memory, therefore, the President said the machines shall be christened as “Baah-Wiredu’s Computer for a child.” Another fantastic posthumous award for a worthy soul.

With this magnificent technological legacy bequeathed Ghana by the affable and humble late Minister, when it comes to write the history of ICT advancement in the country, Hon. Baah-Wiredu’s name shall not be written in water, but etched on the rock of technology. For he had sowed a seed of ICT that shall geminate, grow and produce fruits that shall feed Ghanaian children of today and those yet unborn.

It is most reassuring to learn from the President that the first batch of 10.000 units of the wonder machines are already on the way and will sooner than later arrive in our beloved country. Well, this writer is not in any position to know how these computers will be distributed equitably for the benefit of all public schools in the country. But the country’s educational authorities know best what to do.

Nevertheless, I shall take the liberty to make the following suggestions for consideration:

1. Even before the “magic computers” land on our soil, there must be “magic” ICT teachers who can use the machines to teach the children in the first place. So, if this is not yet done, then one or two experts who manufactured the computers must come down to provide some kind of “Train-the-trainers” programme for ICT teachers in Ghana without delay.

2. Where possible, all public schools in the 170 districts in the country must be supplied with these computers for children. One does not know whether the computers will use electricity power or solar energy or dry cell batteries; so that whether a school is located in a district connected to the national electricity grid or not, the children there must be given the opportunity at least to see and touch a computer in their life for the first time. The truth is that some Ghanaians are yet to see a computer in some parts of our country let alone use one.

3. Some of the Community Information Centres (CICs) that are currently in operation in some of the deprived rural areas in the country must serve as resource centres where some of the computers can be installed for the benefit of school children in those communities. It may be better that way rather than some school heads, suffering from “computer phobia” to dump the machines in some uncompleted buildings somewhere with the excuse that there are no computer laboratories in their schools.

For Ghana to make headway in the global market as far as employment opportunities are concerned the country must vigorously embark on mass production of ICT literates like India and unemployment and poverty shall gradually take care of themselves.