In the middle of the afternoon, in the middle of the week, under Bangkok’s blistering heat, we decided to attend an AMCHAM Thailand Foundation (ATF) event. Sweaty decision! But thankfully, it was worth the shirts sticking to our backs. What made it especially valuable was a striking statistic we came across from Deloitte‘s 2025 Global Human Capital Trends report.
According to the report, ONLY 33% felt confident their managers knew what truly motivates them? Makes you wonder what’s happening in those relationships when two-thirds of team members don’t believe their manager understands what makes them thrive?
Credit: Deloitte 2025 Global Human Capital Trends ReportIf this were your team’s result, what would be your first thought? More importantly, what could you do next? We have some practical ideas to share:
1. The ‘Fill your cup’ conversation
This simple but powerful activity works wonderfully in one-on-one settings or as a team exercise. The goal is to discover what truly energises each person on your team.
Insights Discovery Workshop Activity
Ask your team members what would ‘fill their cup’ in these categories:
- Could have — Things they’d appreciate but can live without
- Should have — Important elements they’re willing to work toward
- Must have — Essential ingredients for their ideal work environment
You might not be able to provide everything due to limited resources, company policies, or other priorities. But what matters most is that your team members feel genuinely heard and know you’re sincerely invested in their well-being.
2. “How to manage ME” reflection
Here is another Insights Discovery program activity. It works really well as a take-home activity. Give your team members this simple yet powerful gap-fill task:
"I am at my very best when there is _______ and I struggle when there is _______. I want others to know _______ and an area I want to develop is _______."
Their responses will reveal:
- What helps them enter their optimal work state
- What prevents their best performance
- Important things peers and managers should understand about them
- How they envision their professional growth
For teams striving for both high performance and genuine well-being, these insights are incredibly valuable.
3. Use personality profiles meaningfully
Whether it’s MBTI, DISC, Big 5, or our personal favorite Insights Discovery. These tools provide valuable perspective. We particularly value Insights Discovery because it’s personalised, positively framed, and highly reliable.
Here’s a common mistake to avoid. Managers read profiles once and forget them. Instead, consider printing each team member’s motivation page and keeping it visible. Better yet, share these insights among the team so everyone understands what motivates their colleagues. (And yes, they should know what motivates you too! 😎)
Word of caution: One person’s preference might clash with another’s. Recently, we worked with a project manager who preferred casual, flexible meetings, which directly conflicted with their coordinator’s need for structure and formality. Finding middle ground requires emotional intelligence and thoughtful leadership.
Beyond these approaches, many Thai teams enjoy Friday dinners, drinks, or other social activities. These natural settings often reveal different sides of your team members and strengthen relationships in unique ways.
What motivates your team?
3 Things that motivated us this month
Tim Ferriss‘s podcast episodes with Craig Mod
What caught Girish Mulani’s attention was Mod’s journey. It almost feels like a hero journey.
From living with a Japanese teenager who wasn’t shy about doing his private business with him around to recently reconnecting with his biological mother. The man’s story feels like something out of a movie. Starting from being raised by adopted parents, growing up with loads of self-doubt, spending his younger years living below his means, and passionately chasing his north star.
Caveat – the episode is long, slow-paced and set in Japanese context, but Ferriss is a fantastic podcaster, he makes sure you stay tuned-in to the stories.
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
This month, Jirina Kiatlertpongsafound a new source of fire from a single sentence in The Almanack of Naval Ravikant
Play long-term games with long-term people.
It reminded her (and maybe reminds all of us) that motivation is rarely just about willpower. It’s about choosing to work in places, with people, and on projects that align with the future we want to create. The right context naturally breeds lasting energy.
The Motivating Power of Genuine Curiosity
In Yogesh Dani ’s own words:
“This situation has challenged me to recognise how my biases create invisible barriers for me, pushing me to move from judgment towards clarifying by questioning my beliefs. I’m trying to unlearn preconceptions, see that understanding begins with genuine curiosity rather than assumptions. As I work through this process, I’m trying to see people as they truly are, rather than through the lens of my expectations, and finding this helps me to understand myself.”
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This June we’re bringing it back. Only the second time ever in Thailand!
If you’re a forward-thinking business leader, HR, or L&D professional, looking for a tool that develops your people and drives real business results.
We have it and we can’t wait to show you how powerful it can be.
