According to Professors Nohria and Lawrence from Harvard Business School we are all motivated and guided by four drives: acquiring, bonding, learning, and defending. In a recent paper from the Incentive Research Federation, they discussed how you can activate these drives within a well-designed reward and recognition system.
Some of the ways include:
Drive to Acquire
- Set clear with well-defined rewards for achieving them
- Train managers to recognize and reward positive behaviors aligned to performance
- Set high, yet realistic targets broken into sub-groups with awards for results
- Measure performance toward objectives and communicate progress to participants.
- Make recognition public where appropriate
- Provide rewards as close to achievement as possible
- Use spontaneous recognition spontaneous which is personal and heartfelt
- Provide down time after long periods of extensive effort to achieve a goal
- Provide tangible rewards to supplement intangible recognition
- Provide group goals and celebrations
Drive to Bond
- Have employees
create online profiles that are socially available for all to see
- Create randomized
dyads of employees encouraging mutual-mentoring
- Ensure each
instance of reward and recognition has a face-to-face element
Drive to Innovate
- Give all
employees at least a small amount of time to innovate within their sphere of
knowledge
- Ensure each
instance of reward or recognition reinforces valued behavior
- Encourage
managers to have an “open door” to hear new ideas
Continue to
encourage employees when an idea does not come to fruition
Drive to Defend
- Maintain openness
and transparency in all communications regarding determination of all
organizational incentive and rewards
- Gather employee
input on incentive, reward, and recognition efforts to ensure they are
perceived as fair
- Remind employees
often of their importance to the organization’s mission
For more
information on Ultimate Choice Inc.’s products or services or other white
papers please contact us at Ultimatechoiceinfo@cox.net
