I read an article the other day about a police department in Maryland giving away a $1 bill to drivers who have all occupants wearing a seat belt. Not wearing a seat belt? They’ll give you informational literature and maybe a ticket. What’s also funny, and sad, is a bank is helping to sponsor this. Frankly, I’d close my account if I were a customer of this bank. I’ve also seen stories about schools paying students that show up for class or for doing their homework. Who would have ever thought!?!?
But if this is your cup of tea, here are a few ideas for incentives in your organization…
- $5 for showing up on time
- $10 for abiding by the dress code and looking professional
- $1 for every smile
- $3 for not gossiping for a full day
Here’s the deal… Non-Negotiables for Attitude, Communication, Compliance and Standards are critical to moving any organization forward. But paying employees or celebrating or recognizing employees for abiding by non-negotiables or meeting basic expectations is just plain crazy. Don’t get caught up in trying to reward bad employees for doing the basics of their job. Doing this will not motivate these poor employees but it will definitely demotivate your best people. If an employee consistently shows up late for meetings or for work, send him home. If an employee continues to wear crocs or flip-flops when the dress code says something different, send her home. If an employee can’t smile and be in a professional mood, send him home. If an employee gossips, fire him. Think of the time spent dealing with these employees every day and week. Now think of how much more productive and happy you could be if you didn’t have spend time each day dealing with this. The point here… deal with it once and for all and then you’ll no longer have to deal with it. Get it? And if you give incentives to employees (and you should), give them for remarkable performance and going above and beyond what the job calls for.
