A motivator must have:
PERCEIVED VALUE. Many managers mistakingly assume that anything they give out will be valuable to an employee. Not true!!! For example, promising expanded role responsibilities for exceptional performance may motivate some employees, but not others. Get to know your employees and personalize rewards based on your employee needs.
PERCEIVED EQUITY. People compare rewards. If one perceives that, compared to others, they are doing more yet receiving less, they will lose motivation. Ensure that rewards are perceived as fair by ALL your employees.
MOTIVATING and not HYGIENE QUALITIES. Fredrick Herzberg refers to “Hygiene” factors as things that are expected in a job. For example, rewarding an employee with a new functional computer would be an ineffective motivator, as the employee EXPECTS adequate supplies to perform their job. Hygiene rewards decrease dissatisfaction, but don’t increase satisfaction.
SINCERITY. Giving praise or rewards just for the sake of doing it is not motivating. Engage with employees completely so that they sense the genuineness of your rewards. How you say something is as important as what you say!
About drmimi
Miriam (Mimi) B. Hull, Ph. D., is President of Hull & Associates. Hull & Associates provides speaking training and facilitation services to Fortune 500 corporations, small businesses, not-for-profit organizations, associations and conventions. Her clients include Siemens Westinghouse, Walt Disney World, SunTrust Bank, Tommy Hilfiger, Sprint, Darden Restaurants, Parent Resource Centers, Florida Hospital, State and Local Governments and over 60 Associations.
Dr. Hull earned her Doctorate in Counseling Psychology with a specialization in Management and her Masters in Counseling and Personnel Services from the University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida. Her B.A. was earned in psychology from Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York.
Dr. Hull is a fully Licensed Psychologist who specializes in organizational development and human relations training and consulting. This includes Change Management, Sales Training and Management, Organizational Development and Procedure, Board Development, Strategic Planning, Diversity, Leadership, Team Building, Motivation and Communication, Time/Stress Management and Personality Insights. Her programs are known for being upbeat, participatory and productive. Dr. Mimi is a veteran speaker with tasteful, amusing and inspiring information for every listener.
Dr. Hull is very active in her community, serving on many Community and Chamber Boards, including the Community Foundation and the National Conference of Community and Justice. She is a Past President of the Junior League of Greater Orlando. She has won many awards professionally and for her community service.
Dr. Mimi has been heard on WDBO 580 AM radio, Orlando, Florida where she speaks about a variety of topics applicable to the nonprofit and business community. She is also the "Dr. Mimi" who writes the "Corporate Couch" articles. Both print and electronic media frequently seek Dr. Hull out for her insights into both people and organizations.
Hull and Associates 
I think the biggest mistake we make is in thinking that you can add THINGS to motivate people. Yes, there are basic needs and all those requirements. But so many people think that motivation is driven extrinsically.
Yeah, maybe, but we sure better be careful. Extrinsic rewards are what Managers like to say motivates people. The irony is that these people ARE motivated by extrinsic rewards in many cases — they LIKE those incentives and thus respond well to them, for the most part. SO, that should mean that everyone wants rewards, right?
Well, maybe. Tell you what. I like dogs, so I promise to give a St. Bernard / Labrador mixed breed puppy to everyone who responds to this post.
Ya think?
Dan Pink has gotten a great deal of publicity for coming out against extrinsic reward systems. Good book, his Drive. Great Video (google or bing “Dan Pink RSA – over 7 million views!!). I think Dan gave short shrift to Alfie Kohn’s classic books like, “Punished by Rewards” — he shared lots of research on how rewards do not drive expected behaviors.
What we need is more self-directed positive feedback.
LONG ago (1979?), I came to the conclusion that most corporate feedback programs were awful when it came to supporting performance improvement.
Here are 5 of my 14-point checklist. Most people report systems that support less than half of these kinds of features:
1. Information on performance is based on actual measured accomplishment and not on estimates or opinions about how results were accomplished.
2. Information highlights areas of performance that have quantifiable value to the organization rather than more general areas of preference
3. Performance information routinely goes to the people who do the work, rather than mostly to management.
People see summarized results.
4. Information shows current levels of performance rather than being delayed by a period of time; it is timely enough to provide for self-correcting actions
5. Results are reported regularly and systematically and not on a haphazard or occasional basis.
We do NOT need to focus on adding extrinsic motivators to the workplace.
What we need to do is focus on involving and engaging people in workplace improvement, giving them a sense of ownership involvement and getting the recognition that they deserve for the jobs that they do. They need good feedback systems that direct their behavior as well as positive suppport from their peers and managers.
For the FUN of It!
.
Scott,
You bring up some great points.
A reward system based exclusively on extrinsic motivators will always fall short in terms of achieving maximum productivity among your employees.
Even the most basic motivational theories (Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs) illustrate that belongingness, esteem, and self-actualization needs drive behavior (after basic biological and safety needs are met, of course)… none of which can be satisfied through extrinsic rewards.
Managers that can consistently find ways to intrinsically motivate their employees have a much better chance of developing an efficient, sustainable, and productive work culture.
Now, that’s not to say that mangers should do away with extrinsic rewards entirely… everyone enjoys a bonus or a gift card from the boss every once and a while 🙂 .
Thanks for your insightful response!