Page 47 - Build a Culture of Employee Engagement with the Principles

18 Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work

“Tim,” I said, “creating a ‘program’ sends the message that
working safely is optional—and I don’t think that is what you
want to communicate. What if you walked up to one of your
noncompliant forklift drivers and said, ‘The number one priority
for this company is the safety of its employees. We want every
employee to return safely to his or her family at the end of every
day. In an effort to make sure that happens, we have specific
policies and procedures that you have chosen to ignore. I am
sending you home for the rest of the day and giving you two
more days off without pay. I would request that you use this time
to think about whether you can work for a company that cares
about your well-being and comply with the safety guidelines.’”
Tim replied, “Yeah, but the guys really seem to like the tube
socks. I’m afraid a lot of employees will get upset if we get rid of
the program.” As a consultant, I’ve found there are times when
remaining professional requires biting down so hard on one’s
bottom lip that you risk breaking skin. This was one of those
times. Of course, if I did start bleeding, I was pretty sure that
Tim would be willing to look the other way. “Tim, I’ve got an
idea. At the beginning of every month, put a big barrel of socks
outside your office and let whoever would like some come by and
pick them up.” “But then the program won’t mean much, will it?”
I felt a drop of blood.

Twenty Reasons Why Reward and

Recognition Programs Don’t Work

Many of the points that follow are illustrated using examples
from my work with clients. I want to be clear that in every case
the sponsors of these programs were well-meaning, caring peo-
ple doing their best to improve their organizations—just like