Motivation is a key component to unlocking and achieving true potential, but motivational triggers vary from person to person. So how do you create a work environment where all employees feel motivated and energized? At Thomson Reuters, we encourage our employees to be curious and challenge the status quo. We also focus on ensuring we have an environment of trust and openness, where our employees can feel safe to take interpersonal and ideational risks.
1. The chance to make an impact
"It is important that I am part of something that is bigger than myself. I seek out ways to contribute to important projects that provide me with a sense of ownership both in my own work and my overall work environment. Making an impact in this industry and in customer's lives is motivating."
- Sejal Amin, VP of Corporate Tax Technology | Hoboken, NJ, USA
2. Learning something new
"Learning is what I love about my job the most, and I would do it even if I didn't get paid. This isn't just about the technology, although I love that too, for me it's also about finding ways to be more effective. I always want to see what's around the next corner, and having the freedom to apply that learning to the work I do every day has been one of the best parts of working at TR."
- Matt Buckley, Director of Barossa Technology | Exmouth, UK
3. Finding innovative solutions
"Finding innovative ways of approaching a problem or helping the team solve an issue is my creative outlet. I love thinking up fresh solutions or designs. I also like to be challenged to help make them more effective or providing inspiration to pivot to a new idea. It's exciting to see customers using something we only initially imagined in our minds."
– Ian Stuart, Senior Product Manager | Melbourne, AU
4. Staying curious
"Every day brings something new and different and that surprise is motivating to me. I like learning new things that I never could have imagined I would have encountered or comprehended."
– Claire Crossman, Director of Product Management | Hoboken, NJ, USA
5. Working with great people in a great culture
"Throughout my tenure at TR I have worked with great colleagues. I can't stress enough about the culture we have which acts as a catalyst to innovate, try new things, not to be afraid of failures. I'm challenged and at the same time encouraged to find creative ways to solve problems. I'm grateful to the great leaders we have who inspire me every day to be passionate and to love my job."
– Sathya Venuraju, Senior Manager of Software Engineering | Carrollton, TX, USA
6. Having fun
"The work we do is complex and never-ending, but every call or meeting, even the tough ones, are always dotted with a personal connection, laughter and a bit of fun. We spend the majority of our time in the office, we should enjoy it."
– Christine Imaizumi, Manager of User Experience | Carrollton, TX, USA
7. Continuous improvement
"As different parts of our application and infrastructure mature, we're more able to understand where we can most profitably apply effort. We can choose long-term solutions over short-term fixes. As we fix each problem, we're more stable, more predictable and more able to identify the next target. We're demonstrably trending towards a better and more productive state."
– Stephen Fletcher, Manager | Exmouth, UK
8. Having flexibility
"The value that embracing flexible working practices brings to the lives of TR employees should not be underestimated. Work is such a big part of everyone's life but is always balanced with home life. I've written previously about the advantages that flexible working brings to both TR and its employees - it's a two-way benefit. I have no doubt that my motivation to work here and deliver results has been hugely influenced by this."
– Stuart Morris, Technical Business Analyst | London, UK
9. Sharing knowledge and helping others succeed
"I really appreciate how open we are about what we learn, and how we try to push our knowledge out beyond the team. Doing demos, writing documents, getting up on-stage at user groups... I love that stuff."
- Cariad Eccleston, Lead Software Engineer | Exmouth, UK
10. Techi-ness
"There is no denying I'm a techie at heart. No amount of management can take that out of me. At work every day, the sheer amount of technology that I am exposed to, drives me in ways none of the other factors can."
– Srikanth Subramanian, Senior Manager of Technology | Carrollton, TX, USA
11. Great colleagues who consistently challenge the status quo
"My colleagues are a motivation to come into work every day as they consistently try to challenge the way things are done. We always end up storming on how to better do things and it always leads to productive discussions."
– Suchit Subramanian, Lead Software Engineer | Hyderabad, IN
12. Solving puzzles
"Life is one big puzzle. I have always enjoyed knowing how and why things work. Once I learn how something works, I can use it more effectively. There is also always a pleasure in seeing things that are thoughtfully well made. And learning from them and applying it your own creations."
- Kevin Happe, Software Architect | Carrollton, TX, USA
13. Empowering others
"Nothing gets me going more than the satisfaction I get from being able to empower someone. Be it encouraging a coworker to adapt to change, removing impediments for the team, building a better software to empower our customer achieve their goals… everything excites me."
– Sayra Shahlin, Scrum Master | Carrollton, TX, USA
14. The feeling of progress
"I would like to have a vision of the career progress path, so I can work towards it. The organization gives us resources to determine what we all can achieve and what we need to accomplish our goals is the most important thing for me."
– Prabha Karavadi, Lead Software Engineer | Carrollton, TX, USA
15. Giving back to the community
"When not at work or with my family, the thing that I enjoy doing the most is volunteering my time to help others. It is a dream come true when passion meets work. I derive a lot of pride and satisfaction working for a company that aims to make a difference in the world and in the lives of the not so privileged, like the work of the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Thomson Reuters provides me with so many avenues to give back to the community."
– Sangeetha Anand, Agile Transformation Coach and Project Manager | Carrollton, TX, USA
16. Self-actualization
"I enjoy applying my talents to a greater good. Always learning new things and sharing my experiences with others is very satisfying. I love delivering valuable solutions to customers, and feeling a part of the development process."
– Mike Oransky, Senior Manager of Technology | Carrollton, TX, USA
17. Sense of belonging
"Sense of belonging is a human need just like food and shelter. The fact that I am a part of an organization which promotes a strong work ethic always makes me want to contribute more towards the common goal of the company and the team. If the company cares about the well-being of employees, I as an employee feel like giving my 100% to achieve the common goal we share in the organization."
– Paridhi Dixit, Senior Software Engineer | Carrollton, TX, USA
18. A great work environment
"The workplace environment often has the biggest impact on how motivated you are at work. You thrive when you are part of an upbeat, supportive environment that gets you "in the zone" that you need to be in so that you succeed. That's exactly what TR offers me here! I fortunately have a support team that helps motivate me and encourages me to be better at what I do."
– Sneha Panesar, Senior Business Analyst | Hoboken, NJ, USA
19. The challenge
"A good challenge that I can sink my teeth into will not only get me up in the morning, but will keep me engaged well into the night as well. One downside to this, is that the challenge will also keep me up through the night as well, but that's a different challenge of its own. I've found that its less important about my interest in the challenge as the challenge itself! This transcends work and motivates my life in innumerable ways."
- Bill Ibbetson, Senior Director of Technology | Lake Oswego, OR, USA
20. Family
"I think this is a consistent theme. I have an awesome wife who supports me with all the crazy work/travel/sports/non-profit work that I get myself into! My kids, both girls, 9 and 8 are smart, curious and inquisitive all the time to the point where I had to get an Echo to divert some of the questions to :-) When I have an important presentation to deliver, my family is usually my first audience! Being excited about the work that me and my wife do is a very important attribute for them to see and model their future lives around."
– Ravikumar Nemalikanti, Senior Director of Technology | Carrollton, TX, USA