Fear can be a big motivator for people. When you are scared, you want to do everything you can so as not to be on the receiving end of unwarranted criticism or punishment. This style of managing can work but it is not sustainable because of the damage it can cause.

When people are driven by fear their only motivation is to not be in trouble. They do their work but only to meet certain strict and often unrealistic standards. Fear limits a person’s thinking because they only want to please their boss.

On the other hand, when workers are treated with respect and are given a certain sense of freedom, then their motivation changes dramatically. They do the work because they want to. They are inspired to contribute to the organization and to the overall mission. They do good for the sake of goodness.

In this environment, employees thrive and flourish because they feel trusted and respected. They don’t feel burdened by unnecessary restrictions. Workers are more creative because they can freely collaborate with others and generated out-of-the-box ideas that would usually be repressed in a fear-based culture.

When we hire people at Jaipur Rugs, one of the most important characteristics we look for in individuals is the thirst for knowledge and willingness to expand knowledge. Someone who can admit that they do not know everything has a type of humbleness that makes them receptive and able to adapt to different situations.

An organization’s culture is one of the most important factors in its long-term success. That is why new employees at Jaipur Rugs are immersed in several learning and development programs. One of the most important of these is called a Sensing Journey where new employees are taken to villages where our carpets are made. This is important because it gives new workers a chance to closely interact with the most important members of our family – the weavers.

Many front-end office workers have never been to a village, so the Sensing Journey is the perfect opportunity for them to see how our artisans live and work. By gaining a thorough understanding of this, workers can better relate to the artisans and, as a result, make a deep connection to the company’s overall culture while also developing their emotional intelligence.

New employees also learn about Jaipur Rugs’ purpose, vision and mission as well as core values. This allows individuals to align their work, purpose and vision with that of the organization.

For those employees who have leadership potential, we provide training in the principles of Theory U, which is a management philosophy that can help people with ineffective behaviors that prevent them from empathizing with others. This is an important initiative because at the very core of our culture is compassion and love. Without empathy, this is not possible.

Finally, both office workers and the rural artisans are encouraged to participate in self-management with the goal of giving everyone the opportunity to put forth their ideas and become more involved. This gives workers a sense of self-esteem and trust so that they can achieve their goals faster, manage time better and organize work more efficiently.

When employees are encouraged to work with love as the motivation instead of fear, they are given the ability to reach new heights. They will want to work for you rather than feeling like they must work. The creativity that is destroyed by fear is awakened, renewed and refreshed.