INCREASING

MOTIVATION:

THE REWARD SYSTEMS OF

COMPETITION AND APPRECIATIONBy Jon Belsher

SOMETIMES IT

CAN BE

DIFFICULT

to motivate your employees if business is

slow. There are other factors for low

motivation too, such as the season or

personal matters. How can you increase

your employees’ motivation? Two

important tactics are friendly

competition and employee appreciation.

FRIENDLY

COMPETITION

can be a source of motivation for

employees to succeed at work. Charles

M. Schwab, an American steel magnate

known for making Bethlehem Steel and

becoming the second-largest

steelmaker in the U.S., once said, “the

way things get done is to stimulate

competition.” Schwab encouraged a

friendly rivalry between the day and

night shifts at Bethlehem Steel by

writing each shift’s production numbers

on the mill floor. This helped increase

overall production since both shifts were

trying to outperform the other.

IN TODAY ’S

BUSINESS

REALM

competition can encourage innovation

and creativity. It encourages employees

to think and act outside of their comfort

zone. It also can help employees

become more productive by performing

in potentially new and innovative ways..

HERE ARE A FEW

SUGGESTIONS TO ENCOURAGE

FRIENDLY COMPETITION

AMONG YOUR EMPLOYEES :

Employees who have the most sales each month receive gift

cards to their favorite restaurants.

Employees receive a raffle ticket for each sale they make.

Employees who outline the best business solution(s) of the

quarter, year, etc. receives a bonus.

AS FOR

EMPLOYEE

APPRECIATION ,

competition can encourage innovation

and creativity. It encourages employees

to think and act outside of their comfort

zone. It also can help employees

become more productive by performing

in potentially new and innovative ways..

COMPANIES

LIKE

Google show appreciation to their

employees by offering 100,000 hours of

free massages. Employees at NetApp, a

multinational storage and data

management company, receive calls

from senior managers when they’re

“caught doing something right.”

YOU CAN EMPLOY APPRECIATION

TACTICS WITH YOUR EMPLOYEES

AS WELL . HERE ARE SOME WAYS

TO DO SO :

Birthday shoutouts.

Recognizing an employee for a job well done on a particularly

difficult project.

Ordering a catered lunch to express your appreciation to your

employees.

Featuring an employee in your monthly or quarterly newsletter

who did something truly spectacular for your company.

EMPLOYEES

NEED TO BE

MOTIVATED .

At the same time, they like to feel

appreciated and want to see the

difference they are making in their

organization and be recognized for it.

Whether you’re in the steel business or

healthcare, friendly competition and

rewards’ systems can be beneficial for

your employees’ well-being and

motivation which ultimately leads to

improved retention.

VISIT

JONBELSHER.COM

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP