Interviewer: How important is motivation for a manager?
采访者：积极性对一个经理来说有多重要？

Professor: Oh, motivation is extremely important. I’d say it’s the most important aspect of a manager’s job. A manager’s job is to get the job done, whatever that job might be. So a manager has to motivate the workers, both as a team and also on an individual basis. Without motivation, the job just won’t get done.
教授：积极性相当的重要。我想说，积极性是一个经理在工作中最重要的一个方面。一个经理的工作就是无论任务是什么都要把它完成。所以经理应该提高员工在团队中与他人合作和自身工作时的积极性。没有了积极性，工作就无法完成。

Interviewer: So how do managers go about doing this? It doesn’t sound very easy.
采访者：那经理是怎样处理这个问题的？这听起来并不简单。

Professor: No, it is a complicated issue. But managers have special tools. They are trained to use them to boost motivation and increase production to a maximum.
教授：是的，这是一个很复杂的问题。但经理有特殊的方法解决这个问题。他们会接受训练，用一些方法来提高积极性并使生产量最大化。

Interviewer: Tools?
采访者：方法？

Professor: Yes, tools like praise, approval and recognition. And then there is trust and expectation. They are all important for workers.
教授：是的，用一些像表扬，同意和认可这样的方法。还有信任和期望。它们对员工来说都很重要。

Interviewer: And money? What about money?
采访者：那钱呢？用钱来提高他们的积极性怎么样？

Professor: Yes, money is a factor but you might be surprised to learn that it comes out last on the list of these tools that we are talking about.
教授：是啊，钱也是一种解决的方法，但你会惊讶的是，你会发现钱在我们所谈论的有效方法中是排在最后的。

Interviewer: So, what comes before money? What sort of things are more important for workers?
采访者：那排在钱前面的是什么？什么东西对员工来说更重要呢？

Professor: Well, all of the things that I have already mentioned, and then job enrichment and good communication between the workers and the bosses.
教授：我所提到的所有东西都很重要，还有工作丰富化、员工和上司之间的良好沟通也很重要。

Interviewer: And have you got any examples of real life situations to back up your claims?
采访者：在现实生活中，你有没有实例可以支持你的说法的？

Professor: One good example is the firm Western Electric. When managers started taking an interest in their workers, there was a huge increase in production. They started to talk to the workers and encouraged them to get involved in decision making. Workers began to feel that their contributions were important. And it paid off.
教授：西电公司是一个很好的例子。当经理关心员工的时候，生产量就会大幅度提高。经理开始与员工交谈并鼓励他们参与决策制定。员工们会觉得他们的贡献很重要，他们的付出得到了回报。

Interviewer: Productivity increased?
采访者：生产率提高？

Professor: Yes, hugely. The Swedish company Kochums is another example. The company was on the verge of collapse when managers decided to try a change in motivation practice.
教授：是的，大幅度提高。瑞典的Kochums公司是另一个例子。当这个公司正面临破产的时候，经理们决定进行激励实践。

Interviewer: What did they do?
采访者:他们做了什么？

Professor: Well, basically it was a change in attitude towards their workers. Managers decided to stop giving orders and to try persuading them instead.
教授：从根本上说，他们改变了对待员工的态度。经理们决定不再命令他们，而是试着说服他们做事。

Interviewer: And it worked?
采访者：这有用吗？

Professor: Absolutely. In just ten years they managed to turn a 15 million dollar loss into a 100 million dollar profit.
教授：当然有用。在仅仅十年之内，他们成功地从损失了1500万的困境走出来，得到了1亿的收益。

Interviewer: So, let’s get this straight. Are you saying that workers are not interested in earning more money?
采访者：那让我们把这个问题理清了。你的意思是说员工们对赚多一点钱没兴趣了吗？

Professor: I’m saying they’re not just interested in money. It is important of course. We need to enjoy a certain standard of living. But, as I mentioned before, there are other things that are just as important: praise, approval, recognition, trust and expectation, job enrichment and good communication.
教授：我是说，他们不仅仅只是对钱感兴趣了。当然钱是很重要的。我们需要享受生活。但是，就像我前面所提到的，还有其他的东西是很重要的：表扬，同意，认可，信任和期望，工作丰富化和良好的沟通。