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By John Schaefer, April 16, 2013 4:20 pm

Many managers are hesitant to use incentives in the workplace because of a fear of what it may lead to in the way of increased expectations on the part of employees. The logic goes: “If I give them something extra for doing what I expect them to do, I will have to keep giving them more and more in the future to simply maintain what they are doing now.” Such managers are afraid that the use of incentives in general–money or otherwise–is basically a slippery slope that once begun can never be contained.

This line of reasoning is unfortunate in that such managers are abandoning one of the most powerful forms of human motivation that is known to mankind. They will never experience the benefits that result in increased morale and productivity and return to the bottom line from a well-run incentive program. It is similar to a person who refuses to drive a car because the brakes might fail or because they read that a significant number of people are killed each year while driving their vehicles.

The fact of the matter is, with certain cautions, it can be relatively easy to obtain highly desirable results from the use of incentives in the workplace while at the same time minimizing the risks to the organization. Following are a few guidelines I’ve found that can help to keep your use of incentives in check.

At Schaefer Recognition Group we offer tools and training to re-engage employees. The truth is they will stay with your company when you show them you care to have them stay. Is it that simple? Sort of. It takes a true commitment to re-establishing workplace culture and creating an environment where managers are seen as genuine and employees want to be more productive without breaking the corporate bank.

Link incentives to performance. This makes incentives less likely to come across as largesse that is equally distributed to all members of the company whether individuals performed or not and more closely ties incentives to the success of the organization. Recognizing such things as birthdays, anniversaries, attendance, years of service or passing out turkeys to all employees at Christmas are all examples of programs that are rewarding presence rather than performance. Yet these are some of the most common incentive programs that exist in this country. It is much more beneficial to get employees focusing on behavior and results that can make a difference in the competitive advantage of the organization. Doing so will help break down the notion of the organization as a paternal care taker of employees rather than employees being recognized for the contribution they have made–and earned–for the organization.

Use variety in your choice of incentives. Not only will having different incentives keep them fresh, but individual incentives will be less likely to become entitlements. For example, if each quarter the company made its revenue goals the company gave a half-day off to all employees, by the second or third time employees will come to expect this incentive as an ongoing benefit for no other reason than it has been done repeatedly. If, on the other hand, the first quarter you gave all employees a half day off, the second quarter you did nothing and the third quarter you held an ice cream party, the variety not only adds fun to the workplace, it minimizes the expectations that can arise from the repeated use of the same incentive. The same logic holds true for incentive programs. Change them when they start to become stale or lose their effectiveness.

Emphasize non-monetary incentives. Studies have shown that you can obtain a greater increase in productivity through the use of non-monetary recognition items (merchandise, plaques, life style items, etc.) on a dollar-per-dollar basis than by using only cash to increase productivity. Many other studies have shown that employees find the most meaningful incentives to be things that have no cost at all, starting with a personal thanks from one’s manager for doing a good job. Raise the level of awareness and skill on the part of your managers to make a more frequent use of such no-cost, low-cost incentives within their work groups and within individual jobs. Autonomy, flexibility, visibility, involvement in decision making, interesting job assignments and extensive information/ communication can all be used with great success to help obtain extraordinary performance from ordinary people.

—Bob Nelson, Ph.D.

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By John Schaefer, July 24, 2012 2:22 pm

Cover of Batman: Dark Knight Dynasty HC. Art by Gerald Brom. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As we have followed the summer news we are taken aback by how much of what happens in the world is unexpected and often disastrous. We are, like so many, struggling to wrap our minds around the events in Aurora, CO at the Batman Dark Knight premiere. We’re speechless as we watch wildfires spread across half the land of this beautiful nation. All the while we’re re-creating the workplace of the 21^st century after the worst economic downturn in two generations. It’s a lot to process!

Here are tips for preparing your business for the unexpected:

1. Moving ahead even when we can’t understand: The recent tragedy in Aurora, CO is shocking and as a nation we are sorting through news and social media stories to make sense of a senseless tragedy. What can we learn? In the face of struggle and tough times it is important to move you, your
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By John Schaefer, June 2, 2012 12:50 pm

Let’s face it, the world is a changed place today compared to a decade or even a year ago. The economy is crawling back and you’ve got to figure out the direction of your business and employees. Gone are the days of hiring to fill the seats or hiring from a checklist of skills.

You need employees who fit the workplace culture first. Second is the capacity or existing knowledge for the functions needed for the position for which they are hired. You need to know who you already have on your team that can fill some of the emerging functions of your business. All of this and more are needed in the workplace of the 21st century at minimal cost to the business.

Here are three tips for rethinking the workplace in the 21^st century:

1. Creating a Healthy Workplace: The health of your business is in large part dependent on the health of your staff. Physically healthy employees perform better and more efficiently. As a business owner or manager that means increased productivity and bottom line numbers. Low or no cost ways with benefits to productivity include encouraging activities like walking clubs or in-house exercise classes and activities. Get the blood flowing to get ideas flowing. Working as a team on an activity will lead to better team work overall.
2. The Paradox of Money as Motivator: Consider the proven theory that employees are more productive, creative and innovative when they are paid enough to take money off the table as a motivator. Here’s a great video explaining this concept in detail: http://youtu.be/u6XAPnuFjJc. When money isn’t a motivation employees are motivated by mastery and purpose – They want to learn new things, understand the vision of the company and know how they fit into the business.
3. Those Left Behind: As previously discussed in Why You Can’t Handle the Truth (About Your Employees) the employees left behind after layoffs are looking to leave your business. As a business owner you need to evaluate whether or not the function and skills they provide are important to the business. If they are important, you need to figure out how to retain these employees.

At Schaefer Recognition Group we offer tools and training to re-engage and retain employees. We can also help you and your managers determine the skills and talents of existing employees who may not be in positions to which they are ideally suited. Think of the workplace of the 21st century as an evolving being with lots of moving parts and bring us in for a complimentary initial consultation. We look forward to meeting and working with you and your team!

John Schaefer

John Schaefer is a Consultant with over 20 years of experience helping companies realize and react to what he calls theEmployer/Employee Disconnect. “Your people have the capacity and desire to become far more involved and productive than they are today. The resources required are freely available, if you simply choose to use them,” says Schaefer.   “The key is to get your managers and supervisors to embrace this challenge by seeing what’s financially in it for them.”

Schaefer Recognition Group will share a thorough understanding of the WHAT, WHY and HOW of employee recognition and training to help you – Optimize Your Most Valuable Asset – PEOPLE!

John R. Schaefer   –  toll free (888) 646-6670   – john@SchaeferRecognitionGroup.com

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By John Schaefer, February 6, 2012 6:00 am

What does John Schaefer catching a baseball have to do with employee recognition? Glad you asked. John offers these five lessons:

1. Training – Be prepared to make the play. I spent my whole life learning the skills to make this catch. Not only that, I was ready with his glove on, was still paying attention in the ninth inning and had the instinctive ability to make the play of this level without thinking. A well trained, focused, present and capable workforce will not only make more plays, but will have fewer accidents, waste less material, break fewer pieces of equipment, demonstrate more cooperation, achieve better productivity and make your firm a lot more money.
2. Practice Looking Back: I realized just how many hours I had practiced the skills that ultimately made this reactionary catch possible. It was a backhand play on a fast moving baseball. Only well-practiced employees will be ready to instinctively do the right thing under pressure. Those few milliseconds of indecision that separate the well-intentioned rookie from the well-honed expert could make all the difference between a catch and a costly incident. Lost time accidents, injuries and equipment damage due to inexperienced employees continues to be one of the most expensive and wasteful areas for many companies.
3. Attitude – Have the confidence to go for it while others pull back or duck. Anybody can bare hand a little pop foul, but to snag a tailing liner youve got to have a combination of experience, confidence and guts. Employees who feel valued and respected are more likely to put in the hours and the effort to be really good at what they do; not because they fear being fired if they dont, but because they like you, appreciate the company and want be a part of a winning team. Theyre also a lot less likely to take their skills to your competitors when things get tough.
4. Recognition: When I turned to the stands and held up the ball, just imagine how it felt when thousands of cheering fans came to their feet in approval – it was overwhelming! Giving immediate, appropriate and genuine recognition when an employee takes a chance and it pays off is one of the most valuable things a supervisor can ever do. When your management team is ready, aware and has the tools at hand, this is not only easy, but soon becomes a habit that transcends the entire organization. Most people underestimate the value of an honest, timely pat on the back when its deserved. If your team is a well-oiled machine, your supervisors will have more time to concentrate on opportunities to use recognition, because so much less time is being wasted on recruiting, training, and coaching of new employees due to higher than necessary turnover.
5. Share the Glory: While I made the play, everybody around me seemed to enjoy sharing in the moment almost as much as I did as the high-fives ensued. Lets face it, theres only so much time in the work day for celebrating success and handing out recognition. The best managers realize this, so they make sure that as many peers as possible get to participate in each recognition moment. When other team members see how often it happens, they share the love and look forward to their turn. Team-based recognition is a great way to foster camaraderie and keep everyone more focused on the job at hand.

Now I know what you were saying; this was was a lucky break. I was in the right place at the right time. What if we could create an environment in your workplace where this happened regularly and on purpose?  That is what I share when we meet and also in my book. Here is the best news of all:

Its fun, easier than you think, and it wont cost you any money. As a matter of fact, itll make you money, and youll be able to prove it to the CFO! Contact us to learn more.

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By John Schaefer, July 26, 2011 8:03 am

I ran across this article by by Larry & Rebecca Lacy in their Pinnacle Management Group newsletter.

‘Good morning.’ It is a simple enough statement. Rather innocuous in fact…or so you think. This one simple little phrase just may be costing your organization a bundle in lost productivity, poor morale, and customer dissatisfaction. Let me give you an example.

I went in to pay our electric/water bill this morning. Just like every month when I go in, I say ‘Good morning’ to the woman at the window. And just like every month, she ignored my greeting. She processed my payment with speed and efficiency, handed my receipt to me with a quick (but not unfriendly), “Thank you”.

When we were getting ready to move to this community, I called to have our utilities turned on. That was my first introduction to this woman. She was so cold and abrupt that I started having second thoughts about our relocation! Well, over the intervening years, I have come to terms with her demeanor and I no longer take it personally. It has even become a bit of a game to me to see if I can get her to smile and say hi. I’m patient…It could happen.

It’s not that she’s unfriendly; she just doesn’t need that personal connection afforded by a warm greeting. She gets her job done in a highly efficient manner, thus in her mind, she is fulfilling her obligations. So, what’s the problem?

The problem is that she is assuming that what is good communication for her is good communication for others. Obviously this isn’t the case. Something as simple as not saying ‘good morning’ can have a huge impact.

You may be thinking that something like this can never ever happen in your organization. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but yes it could. In fact, in almost every organization where we have delivered training, this has been an issue.

Believe it or not, something as simple as someone not returning a ‘good morning’ greeting can result in hours of lost productivity as the person feeling slighted ponders, “I wonder why she is mad at me. What did I do wrong?” Sometimes the thoughts become a bit more hostile as in, “That witch! So, you’re too good to speak to me are you?!? Well, I’ll show you! Just wait until you need something from me and see how fast I respond. HA!” This can cause relationships to disintegrate completely.

Meanwhile, those in the training who are seen as the ‘offenders’ are stunned that they have this kind impact. They don’t mean anything by it. Typically they are very focused on a task or are just lost in thought. They certainly don’t mean to offend, but at the same time, they find it a bit silly that anyone would take it personally.

Parties on both sides of this issue are intelligent people who are just operating in their own communication preferences without understanding how this impacts others. They (wrongly) think that what is good communication for them is good communication for others.

So, what can you do about it? First,download PMGs imPACT Model.  This will give you additional information about the genesis of these simple (but expensive) miscommunications. Second, everyone should have some basic training about personality styles and communication preferences. This is a simple way to help you boost team engagement, customer satisfaction, sales, productivity, and job satisfaction. Additionally, many people have reported that this training has helped improve relationships with family members. If you would like more info about how PMG can assist you with this, simply fill out the form below and we’ll get right back to you.

If you’d like to know more about how we can help your company, visit us at www.SchaeferRecognitionGroup.com.