According to Bob Nelson, author of “1001 Ways To Reward Employees,” “most managers don’t understand the power of recognition and rewards.” Now more than ever, Nelson believes that employee appreciation is critical for building morale and motivating downsized workforces to produce better results.
In his book, Nelson cites 2,300 real-life examples of ways to motivate employees. They include:
- Volunteer to do another person’s least desirable work task for a day.
- Wash the employee’s car in the parking lot during lunch.
- Name a continuing recognition award after an outstanding employee.
- Write five or more Post-it® notes thanking the person for a job well done and hide them among the work on his or her desk.
- Conduct an Out-to-Dinner program for employees. Award dinners for two for doing something special, like coming in on a day off or working through a break.
- Name a space after an employee and put up a sign (“The Suzy Jones Corridor,” for example).
- Develop a Behind-the-Scenes award specifically for those whose actions aren’t usually in the limelight.
- Give an employee a month of shoeshines.
- Create a “Good Tries” booklet to recognize those whose innovations didn’t achieve their full potential.
- Send the person to a health spa for a day or weekend.
SOURCE: 1001 Ways to Reward Employees, by Bob Nelson, Workman Publishing, New York, 1996. Order this book now from Amazon.com.
Please Note: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not the intent of Mary Rau-Foster to render legal advice. If legal advice is required, you should seek the services of a competent lawyer.