An article in Freakonomics
from last fall titled "How to Launch a
Behavior Change Revolution"
offered the insight that there are two types of forces that affect motivation:
1.
Restraining
Forces - those that prevent you from achieving your goals
2.
Driving Forces - those
that push you to achieve your goals
In our experience when organizations
consider using recognition or incentives to improve employee engagement or
achieve any meaningful goal, we almost always utilize Driving Forces. But,
according to Princeton psychology professor Daniel Kahneman:
"Diminishing
the restraining forces is a completely different kind of activity, because
instead of asking, 'How can I get him or her to do it?' It starts with a
question of, 'Why isn't she doing it already?' Then you go one by one
systematically, and you ask, 'What can I do to make it easier for that person
to move?”
In your incentive and recognition planning start by asking why your employees aren’t doing what you want already? As Kahneman points out if you want to make changes you will be better off starting by controlling the environment, by just making it easier. Is there an incentive that works against your program objectives? Are there social pressures? Are there any of your people against it?
Start by looking at your rules structure. Are they needlessly complex? We’ve seen time and again where companies work feverishly to design programs with so many minute details that when explain it at launch time your employees don’t want to jump through all the hoops and simply revert back to ‘business as usual.’
The
second roadblock that can be removed is lack of knowledge and positioning of
what you’re really trying to accomplish…the overall picture…along with the
small steps your people can take to affect the outcomes you want. People do what
they know how to do, what they are excited about, and what they see as a great
value proposition. You may not have thought about it this way, but you might
consider some minimum rewards to employees for understanding the message.
Another
very important point to consider, and often an additional barrier to success,
is not to over promise. Set up your program in such a way to reward them for
early wins. If you want your employees to change their patterns quickly and
meaningfully then use meaningful awards early in the process.
Put
yourself in your employees place, drive out as many restraints as you can. It’s
difficult to discuss all the external negative restraints that could be in
play, but it’s important to consider them.
For
more information on Ultimate Choice Inc.’s products or services or other white
papers please contact us at Ultimatechoiceinfo@cox.net
