Trick question for you. What is the number one motivator for employees?

Every time I talk with executives, they often suggest that paying employees more—up to a certain level—is the answer. Sure, research supports this to some extent, but that’s not the full picture. Others say it’s about making employees feel appreciated. Yes, that’s important too, but it’s still not the core answer.

So, what is it? It’s the feeling of progress—every single day.

But here’s the kicker: What does progress actually mean? That’s the big question we need to solve.

For many people, the idea of progress is tied to profits, and they might believe they’re already performing in the top 10%. But in reality, they may not truly be connected to driving profits.

Here’s where we come in. We need to define progress on what for them.

During my graduate work in organizational development, I learned a key concept: Don’t overwhelm people by getting too far ahead of their abilities. Start small. Take someone who feels stuck—trapped in what’s called “learned helplessness”—and give them one clear goal. Help them achieve mastery in that one area, celebrate their success, and set up a system to maintain it.

Then, you show them the next needle to move. Once they achieve that, you celebrate again and set up another system to lock in the progress. Step by step, you build momentum.

Why does this matter? Some of your lower performers might actually be high performers in disguise. They just haven’t been guided properly or shown what progress looks like. When people start to feel like they’re winning, something amazing happens: those so-called lower performers can transform into some of your top contributors.

And the real magic? They start to believe in themselves in ways they never thought possible.

Next week, we’ll dive into creating a workspace that supports high performers and prevents low performers from draining the team’s energy. Don’t miss it—it’s all about building an environment where everyone thrives.

Missed the webinar or want to dive back in? Catch the replay of Tuesday’s Unleash High-Performance Culture Webinar and revisit or discover practical strategies to build a culture of ownership and drive real results.

Click here to access the replay.

– Roxanne Emmerich

Please watch the video above and share it with your exec team and board.