Sometimes workers need a little push: a push towards a goal, a push towards improvement or simply…a push off a cliff.
HR and/or the Boss usually have only two options: 1) Incent or 2) Punish.
Both can be effective, provided you fully understand the “carrot” / “stick” dichotomy.
For Incentives To Work:
Make sure that it really is a valued motivator (e.g., “most Quarterly sales gets a plunger,” doesn’t cut it).
Money is always good, but recognition goes a long way (letting the incented employee park in the boss’ parking spot or making them wear a silly button all day announcing their achievement, will make them stand out in a fun way).
Select an incentive that others will covet (what good is a steak dinner to a vegetarian?).
Always tell the rest of the group who received what reward. Nothing works better (for the winner and their peers) than public acknowledgment.
Make sure that everyone understands, in advance, just what the incentive is and what is necessary to earn it.
For Discipline To Work:
Make sure that everyone understands expectations and knows when they have deviated from them.
Discipline should be prompt (within a day or two after an investigation is completed).
Never disciple anyone in the public. The grapevine and humiliation can be more devastating to the employee than the actual punishment.
Memorialize all discipline. You will never remember what you did last year and you may need it for future legal proceedings.
Discipline should usually be progressive (a first offense should be treated differently than a 3rd). The only exception is a violation so offensive that you must react with full measure (e.g., an employee that hits a customer or steals from you).
Today’s Tip: Only the enlightened Employer can properly decide how to serve the “carrots” or throw the “sticks.” Just make sure that each is serving its purpose (it’s hard to throw a carrot and no one likes to eat a stick).
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, June 11th, 2008 at 3:34 pm and is filed under Persuasion, Corporate Communication, Human Resources.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.