Motivation for Effective Performance: Empower & Elevate

A capacity-building workshop titled Motivation for Effective Performance: Empower & Elevate was conducted by the Institute’s Centre for Leadership. The workshop’s objective was to empower and motivate the Institute’s non-teaching staff with personal motivation, communication skills, teamwork habits, and institutional awareness to improve confidence, job satisfaction, and performance effectiveness.

A total of 19 non-teaching staff participated in the workshop.

Sincere thanks to our Dean Dr AV Arunkumar for encouraging and supporting this initiative.

The workshop sessions were delivered by the Faculty of the Dept. of OB-HR:

Dr V Padmaja(Head-Centre for Leadership & Prof-Dept of OB-HR)

Dr Sunil Kumar (Prof-Dept of OB-HR & Member- Centre for Leadership)

Dr Anita Singh(Associate Professor & Chairperson-Dept of OB-HR)

Prof Preeja Sreedhar (Adjunct Faculty-Dept of OB-HR)

The program was structured into four engaging and interactive sessions:

The first session “Know Your Role, Elevate Your Impact” was facilitated by Dr V Padmaja.   This session focused on understanding individual responsibilities and how each role contributes to the Institution’s success. This session of the workshop which aimed to empower non-teaching staff to take ownership of their roles, build their professional brand, and enhance their impact within the Institute. The session started with an engaging activity where every participant discussed their current role. The discussion helped in recognizing the value and importance of each role and why the non-teaching staff is the 'backbone' of the Institute in supporting academic operations. The session was quite thought-provoking, as it facilitated the participants in identifying how individual roles contribute to the overall success of the B-School. The session also explored the gap between desired and perceived roles, and highlighted areas for improvement and growth.

The second session, titled “Motivation, Mindset & Self-Development,” was led by Prof. Sunil Kumar R., who engaged participants in a thought-provoking journey toward personal and professional growth. The session focused on practical strategies to develop a growth mindset, sustain intrinsic motivation, and commit to lifelong self-improvement. A key highlight was the introduction of The Ikigai Framework, a Japanese concept that helps individuals find purpose by aligning four essential elements: what they love, what they are good at, what the world needs, and what they can be paid for. The participants were encouraged to reflect on their roles and rediscover meaning in their everyday tasks. By linking individual contributions to a greater sense of purpose, the session aimed to reignite enthusiasm, enhance self-worth, and foster a renewed commitment to excellence at work.

The third session titled “Teamwork & Trust” facilitated by Prof Preeja Sridhar. The session was about through real-life scenarios and group activities, this session emphasized the importance of collaboration, mutual respect, and trust in building a supportive workplace. The session started off with "spinning a tale activity" based on the story cubes given to the participants. The narratives were based on individual curated phrases/statements on the story cube which was connected to a common storytelling process. The objective was to touch-base on only two important skills out of many (Critical thinking and Problem solving ) needed  to build an effective team work . The activity concluded with participants narrating the story within the stipulated time frame and also briefing on the challenges seen during the activity. Each group had identified challenges like   1.  clear cut communication, 2. being on the same page. 3. Authenticity 4. putting ego on the back burner and 5. camaraderie was very essential to build trust, which acts as a catalyst in creating a productive team. Thus the key takeaways were emphasized before wrapping up. The workshop was experiential in nature leading to awareness on working in a team and the importance of trust.

The last session was facilitated by Prof Anita Singh on “Positive Communication & Workplace Etiquette” highlighted the effective communication skills, professional conduct, and interpersonal etiquette essential for a harmonious work culture. The understanding of the concept of Positive Communication was done through a group activity. The two groups had a " Face-off" on “Yes, but…” vs. “Yes, and…” on “Let’s implement a hybrid work model." After the activity was over, in the debrief the participants compared the emotional tone, engagement level, and outcome of both discussions. They also reflected on how our words affect collaboration and momentum at work. This was followed by a session on workplace etiquette. After a brief discussion on the topic, Anita facilitated an Appreciative Inquiry-based exercise using the 4D model: Discover, Dream, Design, and Destiny. The session was engaging and reflective, enabling participants to co-create a vision for a positive, etiquette-driven workplace culture.  

The workshop was extremely engaging, was well-received, with active participation and positive feedback. It provided staff with practical tools to enhance performance, boost morale, and contribute meaningfully towards institutional goals.

The overall feedback for the workshop reflected a highly positive response from participants. A significant 69.42% rated the workshop as Good, indicating that the sessions met their expectations and offered practical value. Additionally, 15.79% of participants marked the workshop as Excellent, appreciating the content, delivery, and engagement level. Another 15.79% rated it as Fair, suggesting areas for further improvement. These results highlight the workshop's effectiveness in addressing key learning outcomes while also providing insights for enhancing future sessions.

Overall, the participants expressed that such workshops enable to improve their skills at workplace and should be conducted more frequently to increase the team bonding.