Mar 01

Recently, I discussed the Good and Bad of Greed as an internal motivator.  Today, I want to examine experimenting with alternative or non-cash incentives for employee recognition, talent retention, and motivation.

At work over these years, I have tried to think beyond financial and productivity metrics when considering compensation changes and employee recognition. While these metrics have been important in maintaining a successful operation, I am very aware of the fact that high-quality, strongly motivated people make or break corporate success. I believe an amicable balance can be achieved through subtle rewards – monetary, such as pay rises, bonuses and one-time cash awards, or otherwise.

Non-monetary rewards can have as much impact if not more if implemented sincerely. Organization leaders have the option of rewarding people through congratulatory notes, mentions at public forums and letting employees sincerely know that their presence and contributions make a difference. I have had no regrets whatsoever in implementing these methods.  I will go further and say that their impact in creating and maintaining a first-class work force has also been very fulfilling for me.

Daniel Pink has presented some interesting studies concerning alternative incentives for productivityWhat about you?  What motivates you to take your work to the next level?  Will you share with me a story of your own alternative incentive programs for your employees?

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Feb 22

My wife was a loyal Nokia mobile phone user. I saw her migrate from one Nokia phone model to another when her subscription with the carriers came up for renewal. Nokia enabled her to make phone calls, check her calendar, take an occasional photograph and send SMS messages conveniently… Life was good!

While my wife tinkered with the basic facilities on her Nokia, there was a worldwide revolution brewing in the field of social networking, e-publishing and music. Along came 3.5 inch phone screens with 960×640 resolution, incredible graphics, 5 mega pixel cameras and access to a gazillion video, music, game and published content, paid and free from highly marketed repositories. Suddenly, the Nokia phone despite all its familiarity paled in comparison to this barrage of user friendly offerings aimed at satisfying every user craving that rolled out from its competitors’ warehouses. My wife flipped her years of Nokia loyalty and switched to using the Apple iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy tablet running on Google’s Android engine. The incumbent Farmer has largely been displaced by the Hunters who have disrupted the conventional playing field through large scale innovations that have shifted the customer’s expectations.

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May 18

I was at the Robin Sharma (The Monk who sold his Ferrari fame) Leadership workshop in Singapore recently with a few of my colleagues. I remember noting that if I am to learn one thing from this seminar, it will be fully worth it. Robin’s presentation did not disappoint. I am continually reaffirmed that approaching seminars like Robin’s, and motivational material in general, openly and with a willingness to learn is key to the enjoyment and ultimate fulfillment of these experiences.

~ Good Work is about Passion ~

The imperative of viewing work in the same way professional athletes view their work is one of the outstanding take aways from Robin’s workshop. That is to say, when you love what you do what you love. Moreover, winning at work means you do your work like Picasso painted, like Mozart composed or like Federer covers that tennis court!  Yet, with technologies and Internet the world is increasingly complex, including the world of work. Continue reading »

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Feb 17

I am fairly liberal and open to providing my opinion about how I view situations, circumstances, opinions and propositions and how I respond to them to anyone who genuinely seeks it! Life has seen me in different circumstances at work and play – good, bad, memorable, rewarding and downright ugly! Some, I have responded to well while others have been not much to write home about. Irrespective of the outcome, I have tried hard to learn from them, to reflect upon them and to promise myself to deal with them better if I were to face them again in the future, especially the not so rosy ones!

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