Product Showcases

True Rewards

"If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed."
  --- Albert Einstein

Communicating to team members the internal rewards for their efforts is quite a challenge. Obviously, most people are working for the reward of some form of compensation so that they can buy groceries and pay their bills. But if that is the only reason a person is part of your enterprise, then their efforts will be enough to help keep you afloat, but not to help propel the organization down the desired course. They will do the job, but not necessarily excel at it. They may perform, but not perfect their jobs.

Rewarding employees has always been a delicate task. Not rewarding according to market standards will cause good employees to leave, and overpaying to keep them can increase their appetites for more. The key is to generate an interest for the work and selling the mission of the company so that team members fall in love with the job. A fair compensation for the job then becomes a byproduct of it.

"One might think that the money value of an invention constitutes its reward to the man who loves his work. But... I continue to find my greatest pleasure, and so my reward, in the work that precedes what the world calls success."
  --- Thomas Edison

The first phase in selling the job for the job itself is to demonstrate that you love the job and the business. The team needs to see the coach fired up about the prospects of the future. The leader must be in love with the business and show this love by his or her unconfined excitement in every aspect of the business every day.

The leader must be the first one to arrive and the last to leave. He must be the one who calls the difficult client and changes their mind. She must be the one on fire for the opportunity to share the mission and vision of the company to everyone she comes in contact with. It has to be the leader making the difficult decisions with a passion that oozes from every pore of their body.

"Birthdays are a reward for having shown up 365 days in a row. It's like getting a badge for attendance."
  --- Gina Barreca

In America, unions once had their place in protecting the rights of workers. Unfortunately, along with the good they did, unions created an entitlement mentality among workers. Many still believe in the seniority reward system that states that because this person hung around, they deserve more money.

Successful businesses today though reward for performance only, and those who perform the best are those who love their jobs and are engaged in their work. The reward comes as a reaction to the good that they do. It is a part of the profits of the business that the engaged employee contributed to. These kind of employees love what they do because they clearly understand the passion of the leader, the direction of the organization, and the impact of how their job contributes to the success of the company and the community.

"The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it."
  --- John Ruskin

Begin today selling your business to your team. Ignite the fires again that got you your start and share that enthusiasm with others. Demonstrate that the reward is more than the money. It is playing a key role in the achievement of the goals of the company. Do this, and you will never have to worry about employee retention again.