Managers know that incentives motivate—that makes incentives good.
They also know incentives can be expensive—that makes them not so good.
Trips, bonuses and time off are considered good motivators, but is the expense necessary, i.e., is the motivation a function of how much the incentive costs or are other factors at work?
Many mangers use smaller, more frequent items for motivation—movie tickets, Tiffany pens, dinner for two—less expensive, but do they work?
Do you motivate an engineering team the same way you do a marketing team?
Is there any one thing that motivates people and is within the control of all managers at every level?
Four questions with the same answer, “yes,” but it is the final question that holds the key to productivity and retention.
The key is in the MAP (mindset, attitude, philosophy™
Today’s employees are not only smart, but savvy; they know when the incentive being offered is a reward for intelligent effort and when it is the carrot tied on a stick and mounted over the donkey’s head to keep it moving.
The difference between reward and carrot, is the difference between motivation—where worth is almost incidental when winning the incentive reinforces the feeling of being both valued and valuable and manipulation—where no incentive is valuable enough to offset being made to feel like a dumb animal.
It is your attitude that marks the difference and it is your choice whether to keep or change it.
Since attitude stems from philosophy, changing the former means altering the latter. Sounds simple, but here mindset enters the equation—often as the barrier to the changes.
MAP coaching helps you unset your mind, so you can motivate with incentives containing that intangible, intrinsic something that every employee recognizes as real.
To start MAPping your success today, call 360.335.8054 or write us now!
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