if you were a boss, how would you motivate your employees?

I worked for a Multinational Company for 20 years, and I always took pride in my work and was proud of my work ethic. In other words I did my best work, and although I worked for many different foremen in those 20 years, not one of those supervisors ever once complimented me on my good work, or thanked me for a job well done. The reason for this is that those foremen were just working there same as me, and they really didn't give a damn. No One cared! Is it any wonder that our world is going to hell in a Hand-wagon?