Page 34 - How to Motivate Every Employee

Think about the people behind the performance. Rewards and
recognition should fit the achievement, but also the employee. If you
want to reward a telemarketer, for example, he or she may appreci-
ate a weekend getaway with meals and accommodations provided.
However, if you are rewarding a traveling sales rep, such a prize may
not excite him or her who spends a great deal of time in hotels and
restaurants anyway.
Here are some positive forms of reinforcement that aren’t expen-
sive and will help get the point across to your employees that you
want to recognize a job well done:
Create greater autonomy: This tells employees that you trust them
to make decisions that affect their work. It also conveys a sense of
additional responsibility.
Increase visibility within the organization: Send an e-mail or memo
to others publicly recognizing the good work of someone. When you
help increase the visibility of an employee who’s done a good job,
you’re reinforcing that good work by your praise and recognition. If
it’s in the budget, another way to appreciate a job well done is to pro-
vide that person with additional resources, such as a new computer
system, software, an assistant, or monies for books and seminars.
Showcase success: Showcasing success often calls for special
recognition, like a framed certificate or an engraved plaque or tro-
phy. Sometimes managers like to showcase success on a quarterly
basis with “Walk-the-Talk” awards or gift certificates for the team. In
some cases, managers let the employees themselves showcase their
hard work and special accomplishments by asking them to present a
special case study at a prestigious management conference or lead-
ership meeting.

“There are two things people want more than sex and
money … recognition and praise.”
—Mary Kay Ash, Founder, Mary Kay Cosmetics

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