Management Concepts: The AMO Framework

One of the most effective management practices that places people at the centre of an organisation's strategy is the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity model. Put simply, it explore three three dimensions that buil, strengthen and enhance the following key areas: skill (ability), motivation, and opportunity.

● Ability or skill-enhancing practices include recruitment, selection, and training and various forms of mentoring and other direct support.

● Motivation-enhancing practices include performance management, competitive compensation, incentives and rewards, extensive benefits, career development, and job security;

● Opportunity-enhancing practices include flexible job design, employee involvement, and information sharing.

As I’ve noted previously, this ability-motivation-opportunity framework lies at the core of engagement enhancing efforts and can have proximal as well as distal implications.

Thinking in terms of a causal chain, skill and opportunity enhancement tend to impact the "proximal" organizational outcomes of productivity and motivation. Those in turn influence the more “distal” outcomes of voluntary turnover, operational effectiveness, and financial results.

So, if you want to drive important business objectives, that centre around people as your key asset, you now know a good place to start.