Ideas
- Business cards
- Envelopes & Letterheads
- Labels & Stickers
- Bumper Stickers
- Rubber Stamps
- Post-It Notes
- Buttons
- Magnets
- Mouse Pads
- Embroidery Sportswear
- Bic Pens Custom Printed
- T-Shirts & Sports Shirts
- U.S. Flag Labels
- Promoting branch openings
- Introducing new products
- Motivating salespeople
- Opening new accounts
- Stimulating sales meetings
- Developing trade show traffic
- Activating inactive accounts
- Changing names of products/companies
- Using sales aids as door openers
- Motivating consumers
- Moving products at dealer level
- Improving customer relations
- Introducing new salespeople
- Motivating employees
- Promoting new facilities
- Building an image
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Why Recognition Programs Work
The underlying principle is simple enough: Employee works hard, employee gets rewarded. Employee is motivated to continue working hard. It's a basic law of nature. Living creatures are hard-wired to respond to rewards. Consider the laboratory mouse. It has learned that a certain behavior say, pressing a lever with its foot will release a pellet of food. Pressing that lever is very rewarding, and the mouse will do it all day long.
While our tastes may be slightly more sophisticated, human beings are equally susceptible to the power of rewards. Whether we're motivated by the promise of a free vacation, a new fountain pen, or even a tin of chocolate chip cookies, the psychology of positive reinforcement works on us. The more recognition we receive and the more immediately it's delivered, the more likely we are to behave in a reward-worthy way. It's Dilbert meets B.F. Skinner meets Wall Street. And you thought there were no happy endings anymore.
Salaries Set Expectations,
Reward Programs Recognize Great Work
But what if you're already paying a competitive salary? The unenlightened employer thinks, "I don't need an 'extra' incentive program. My employees work hard. I compensate them well. Everyone's happy, right?" Well, only if you're not interested in improving employee performance and boosting morale. Studies indicate that individual recognition is even more motivating than a sizeable salary.
Consider: Nobody receives a paycheck and thinks, "Gee, my manager appreciates me." Rather, we are mentally writing rent checks, remitting credit card balances, paying off student loans. Rewards and pats on the back are not only more personal than a paycheck, they are pleasure-oriented, and so leave a longer lasting impression. If the reward and how it's presented makes for a memorable anecdote, the effect is even more powerful: Trips, apparel, electronics, and the like afford an employee the chance to brag in a way that a higher salary does not.
Retain Your Resources
Armed with competitive wages and enticing stock options, headhunters may already be pursuing your most valuable employees. They can beat your salary, they can promise more perks. What they can't do is compete with the established loyalty an employee feels to his employer.
Creating that kind of employee loyalty takes conscious, deliberate effort though it need not be complicated or arduous. Acknowledging good work, promptly and honestly, says to employees that they are essential to the success of the company. (PDAs-Public Displays of Appreciation-add extra impact to the accolade.)
When an employee feels appreciated, a bond is formed: Employee works hard, employee gets rewarded. Employee feels his efforts are valued and necessary, creating an almost involuntary compulsion to continue his practice of hard work. The result is a happy, loyal employee who feels rewarded for his contributions.
Actions Speak Louder Than Words
Startups and dot-coms are renown for claiming a hierarchy-free work environment where every employee is acknowledged and valued. Even more traditional firms are according new respect to underling positions, fashioning politically correct titles for jobs once belittled. But lip service must be backed up by action if it's to be taken seriously.
The easiest way to ensure that good work is rewarded at your company is to institute a comprehensive reward program. Make certain that managers know when and how to use it. More importantly, make sure they know why. Individual happiness makes for a motivated team and a successful company, not to mention a more pleasant workplace. So treat your hard workers like laboratory mice. They'll love you for it. |
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