Reward & Recognition
What does it actually mean? Listen here
Rewards and recognition are considered key factors in keeping your employees motivated and keen to achieve their targets and stay loyal to the organization.
When we look at the strict definition of motivation, my take when we consider human behaviour is” the need to have powerful goals that provide the motivation to succeed”. Goals have to be personal and specific to the individual, so the question then becomes…will generic company targets do that?
People join a business for a number of reasons, some simply because they want a job, some because they perceive that the prospects are good. Similarly, because the pay and perks are good!
Ultimately, money only fulfills parts of the package…what is often overlooked when we consider reward & recognition, is the personal touch.
Bonus incentives are clearly important, but I know from personal experience when managing teams of up to 250 in large “blue chip” companies, that ultimately over time, people see this reward as part of the package and salary.
What then becomes the differentiator?
If we reflect on the theory of “Pavlov’s dog”, it suggests cause and effect…how our conditioning effects our behaviours. Where does this take us in terms of reward and recognition? To be carried out properly, feedback (in this case praise), has to be timely, sincere, and given in such a way that the person recognizes why, and wants to carry out the task again for the same outcome!
We too often overlook the simple things that make the difference…reward, can be seemingly small…reward can be a small act of gratitude. Reward can at its most basic, be the recognition given to someone. When done too often it loses its effect. It should be part of the tool kit of any leader. The ability to say to someone…” That was a great job well done…your contribution has made a huge difference meaning that we can now press on with etc.”
Any additional reward is quite literally a bonus! It could be as simple as saying…” why don’t you get away early tonight…finish at 3.00pm…have some quality family time”!
Sincerity and genuine is critical. Similarly, the way that you deliver it!
“Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value”. Albert Einstein