The Right Way to Motivate EmployeesIt’s important for a CEO to be passionate and ent

The Right Way to Motivate Employees

It’s important for a CEO to be passionate and enthusiastic, but there’s a line of professionalism that must always be maintained.

According to a report from the technology website Venture Beat, PayPal CEO David Marcus wrote a critical letter to his employees blaming them for not using PayPal products and encouraging them to leave if they didn’t have the passion to use the products they work for.

According to the website, part of the leaked letter reads:

“It’s been brought to my attention that when testing paying with mobile at Cafe 17 last week, some of you refused to install the PayPal app, and others didn’t even remember their PayPal passwords.That’s unacceptable to me, and the rest of my team, everyone at PayPal should use our products where available.That’s the only way we can make them better, and better.”

“In closing, if you are one of the folks who refused to install the PayPal app or if you can’t remember your PayPal password, do yourself a favor, go and find something that will connect with your heart and mind elsewhere.”

While not obvious at first, the letter reveals a problem of morale and culture at PayPal.As an executive, you certainly want your employees to use and promote your products.However, when faced with a situation where staff isn’t embracing what they make, you need to investigate the root of the problem -- not threaten.

When faced with internal problems, good executives start by asking “why”.They reach out to their executive team first and then to the entire staff to find the root of a problem and how to fix it.Sending out a one-sided note about the problem is not leading, it’s retreating.

Leadership starts by listening.Good executives need to get out among the staff and ask questions and listen without judgment or reaction.The fact that company employees are not embracing and using its products is a failure of leadership that Marcus needs to address by self-reflection.At the end of the day, if his employees have to be forced to use the app, how can he expect consumers to want to willingly pay to use it？ Marcus should have focused on three questions:

• Why are you not using the app？

• What is it that we can do to ensure you use our app？

• What do you need from me？

1.A CEO only needs to be passionate and enthusiastic.()

2.It is not professional that PayPal CEO blames his employees not to use PayPal or forget PayPal passwords.()

3.“A one-sided note” refers to the root of PayPal’s problem.()

4.When faced with internal problems, good executives find the root of a problem in their executive team first.()

5.Good executives need to give feedback immediately when they are listening to the staff.()