Examples of Successful Employee Incentive Programs In order to help ensure a well maintained business or workplace, it is very important that the business keep the morale of the workers at a high level and ensure that everyone is as content and happy as possible. This will help to improve the productivity of the business, and this works to make sure that not only is the business successful, but that the workers are happy. Everyone wins. However, some companies and businesses may be unsure of how to go about increasing the morale and thus the productivity of their workers. As a result, they may not be able to have the type of workplace that they desire, in which things run smoothly and with little negative reactions. To these business owners, it may be helpful and beneficial to consider different employee incentive programs that are being used successfully by other businesses as a mean through which the company is maintaining an effective and positive environment.There are a number of different options, and by reviewing other examples a business owner may be able to decide if a particular program would work for them or whether it makes them creative enough to come up with different ideas that would aid their company and workers. Some promotions and programs will be acceptable for certain companies and not for others. Because of this, it is very important that the business owner carefully think about whether or not the investment will help or hinder their specific and individualized company or workplace.One of the most sincere forms of appreciation is when the boss takes the time to thank individuals for specific things that they have done that day or that week. It is cost effective, and will help to make co-workers feel valued and important. By taking the time to acknowledge an individual, the owner does not just recognize that goals were met, but that a particular individual had a hand in what was ac
't have all the info on a new idea on hand when you first see
it.
Not so fast, please!
But why jump the gun by killing it on the spot? Firestien contends that this is, in fact, the knee-jerk reaction of many people to all new ideas.
What's the solution?
Let's say someone proposes an idea. (That "someone" could be another party: your boss, your subordinate, your colleague, friend or spouse; but it could also be YOU - your inner, creative, "real"
self!) If you're at all "normal", your natural urge will be to tear the concept to pieces.
But stop! Don't let your passions get the better of you! If Dr. Firestien had redrawn his wheelbarrow to fit in with all the comments he received, he would have come back to the same wheelbarrow
that has been in use for thousands of years.
Defer your judgment, just for a while.Has the idea no strengths at all? Focus on these first,and the drawbacks afterwards.
The fruits of your efforts may surprise you.
Azriel Winnett is creator of Hodu.com - Your Communication Skills Portal. This popular free website helps you improve your communication and relationship skills in your business or profess
You Have a Future in Sales How often have you heard this one (or said it?): “I don’t like sales, and besides… I’m no good at it.” Most of us have said it, no matter what our industry or profession, steering clear if possible of anything that smacks of sales. We prefer, instead the sweet smell of nearly anything else-- marketing, operations, management, engineering, accounting… anything else! “Just don’t ask me to go out and SELL something. No sir, no way, no thank you, ma’am. That’s just not me.”Well, hold on a minute and take another look, bubba: it darn well BETTER be you! In this Age of Fleeting ‘Permanent’ Employment, none of us can ever again settle back and forget about our need to sell ourselves. Like it or not, we’re bound to be out of our present job sooner or later, no matter how great we’re doing at it. So we’ve got to keep our selling skills sharp and rarin’ to go. This includes utilizing such skills in the midst of our employment circumstances as well.Selling ourselves goes on all day, every day, in the modern work world. We must keep selling our value so we won’t be canned prematurely. We must keep selling our company’s value so shareholders will appreciate it. We must keep selling our product’s value so our customers don’t drift away to the competition. Unlike bygone days, we may no longer take any of these for granted.And to those still kicking and screaming that, “Yeah, that’s cute, but I really don’t have the right personality for it,” listen to the words of James Masciarelli, author of the new book PowerSkills: Building Top-Level Relationships for Bottom-Line Results, on the subject: “The good news is that ‘hunting’ (selling), no matter how strongly affected by innate talent or cultural conditioning, can be learned. Some of the most outstanding business leaders have admitted to me that hunting did NOT come naturally to them, that they had to learn it, and that
Ten or so years ago, an international consultant, specializing in employee involvement and team development, published a story relating to workplace communication that is heartwarming and damning at the same time.
In 1981, Peter Grazer was working as the project engineer on a construction project to modernize a silicon manufacturing facility in St. Louis, Missouri. A crew of ironworkers had been assigned a particularly daunting task of erecting some structural steel in a difficult to reach area of the plant.
Unfazed by the complexity of the assignment, the ironworkers completed the work weeks ahead of schedule, well under budget, and without safety problems.
Grazer and his colleagues of the management team resolved to express their appreciation to the crew in an unmistakable, tangible way.
They sent letters to the homes of the workers, thanking them for their outstanding work and inviting them and their wives to a dinner in their honor at a fancy hotel in St. Louis.
The dinner was a memorable occasion, enjoyed to the full by both management and the workers in a spirit of camaraderie. A couple of days later, Grazer was walking around the site when he came upon one of the crew members.
Jerry was in his fifties and was usually loud and jovial. Moreover, he was naturally hardened from his years of working with steel, and not the type to get unduly emotional over anything.
The project engineer was a little taken aback to see Jerry so quiet and deep in thought on this particular morning, especially so soon after the dinner. He anxiously asked Jerry if anything was wrong.
"You remember those letters you sent to our homes?" he asked. "When I arrived home that day my wife was waiting for me at the door - with the letter in her hands and tears in her eyes. And she said to me: 'Jerry, you've been an ironworker for 30 years, and nobody's ever thanked you for anything.' "
No thanks in 30 years?
Jerry paused, and both he and the project engineer stood there quietly for a moment. "How is it possible," thought Grazer, "that somebody could work for thirty years and not be thanked for
anything he did?"
Dr. Roger Firestien, a noted expert on creative problem solving techniques, quotes this article of Peter Grazer's in his book Leading on the Creative Edge.
The need to be recognized is
clearly one of our most sophisticated drives and one of the most difficult to achieve. The problem is that we are wholly dependent upon others for its satisfaction.
From a purely pragmatic standpoint, lack of recognition can have a profoundly negative impact on productivity. Studies show that encouragement and recognition play a major role in stimulating
creativity in research and development organizations.
In a magazine article a few years back, writer Arthur Gordon gave an almost frightening example of how far this can go.
At the University of Wisconsin, a group of budding writers, said to be brilliant boys with real literary talent among them, once formed a club to discuss their literary efforts.
Wranglers vs. Stranglers
At each meeting, one of them would read something he had written and submit it to the criticism of the others.No one pulled any punches here; in fact, the critiques were so brutal that the club
members dubbed themselves "The Stranglers".
Meanwhile, on the other side of campus, a group of women had also come together for the same purpose. The women called their little group "The Wranglers." They also took turns to read their
manuscripts aloud.
But here the similarity between the two groups ended, for the Wranglers would go out of their way to say kind things about each other. Far from sowing the seeds of self-doubt, they actively
supported each other, and encouraged all literary efforts, however feeble.
And the payoff came about twenty years later.
Gordon asserts that for all the sparkling talent residing in the Stranglers at the time, not one member of the band achieved any kind of literary reputation. From the Wranglers, on the other hand,
emerged a bevy of highly successful writers, led by Marjorie Kennan Rawlings who wrote The Yearling."
Dr. Firestien adds that his experience in business suggests that most organizations more closely follow the Stranglers' pattern than the Wranglers'.
"Why do we naturally gravitate towards the negative?" he asks, and then answers his own question: "I think the primary reason may be that we haven't been taught to look first at the strengths of
an idea."
As if to prove his premise, Firestien shows participants in his seminars a picture of an odd-looking wheelbarrow with a very large hopper, a short handle, and a single wheel behind the hopper. He
then calls for comments on its design.
Typical comments include: "The hopper is too big", "The handle is too short", "The wheel's in the wrong place", or "Go back to the drawing board, Roger!" Of course, all these "comments" are
criticisms.
In real life, he then explains, this wheelbarrow is used for high-rise construction, and there's an important reason for each design element.
"Ah, but you set us up!" is the standard,indignant response. "You didn't give us all the information on it."
To which the presenter politely replies by pointing out that most new ideas look like that when they're first proposed. Often, you don't have all the info on a new idea on hand when you first see
it.
Not so fast, please!
But why jump the gun by killing it on the spot? Firestien contends that this is, in fact, the knee-jerk reaction of many people to all new ideas.
What's the solution?
Let's say someone proposes an idea. (That "someone" could be another party: your boss, your subordinate, your colleague, friend or spouse; but it could also be YOU - your inner, creative, "real"
self!) If you're at all "normal", your natural urge will be to tear the concept to pieces.
But stop! Don't let your passions get the better of you! If Dr. Firestien had redrawn his wheelbarrow to fit in with all the comments he received, he would have come back to the same wheelbarrow
that has been in use for thousands of years.
Defer your judgment, just for a while.Has the idea no strengths at all? Focus on these first,and the drawbacks afterwards.
The fruits of your efforts may surprise you.
Azriel Winnett is creator of Hodu.com - Your Communication Skills Portal. This popular free website helps you improve your communication and relationship skills in your business or professi
The project engineer was a little taken aback to see Jerry so quiet and deep in thought on this particular morning, especially so soon after the dinner. He anxiously asked Jerry if anything was wrong.
"You remember those letters you sent to our homes?" he asked. "When I arrived home that day my wife was waiting for me at the door - with the letter in her hands and tears in her eyes. And she said to me: 'Jerry, you've been an ironworker for 30 years, and nobody's ever thanked you for anything.' "
No thanks in 30 years?
Jerry paused, and both he and the project engineer stood there quietly for a moment. "How is it possible," thought Grazer, "that somebody could work for thirty years and not be thanked for
anything he did?"
Dr. Roger Firestien, a noted expert on creative problem solving techniques, quotes this article of Peter Grazer's in his book Leading on the Creative Edge.
The need to be recognized is
clearly one of our most sophisticated drives and one of the most difficult to achieve. The problem is that we are wholly dependent upon others for its satisfaction.
From a purely pragmatic standpoint, lack of recognition can have a profoundly negative impact on productivity. Studies show that encouragement and recognition play a major role in stimulating
creativity in research and development organizations.
In a magazine article a few years back, writer Arthur Gordon gave an almost frightening example of how far this can go.
At the University of Wisconsin, a group of budding writers, said to be brilliant boys with real literary talent among them, once formed a club to discuss their literary efforts.
Wranglers vs. Stranglers
At each meeting, one of them would read something he had written and submit it to the criticism of the others.No one pulled any punches here; in fact, the critiques were so brutal that the club
members dubbed themselves "The Stranglers".
Meanwhile, on the other side of campus, a group of women had also come together for the same purpose. The women called their little group "The Wranglers." They also took turns to read their
manuscripts aloud.
But here the similarity between the two groups ended, for the Wranglers would go out of their way to say kind things about each other. Far from sowing the seeds of self-doubt, they actively
supported each other, and encouraged all literary efforts, however feeble.
And the payoff came about twenty years later.
Gordon asserts that for all the sparkling talent residing in the Stranglers at the time, not one member of the band achieved any kind of literary reputation. From the Wranglers, on the other hand,
emerged a bevy of highly successful writers, led by Marjorie Kennan Rawlings who wrote The Yearling."
Dr. Firestien adds that his experience in business suggests that most organizations more closely follow the Stranglers' pattern than the Wranglers'.
"Why do we naturally gravitate towards the negative?" he asks, and then answers his own question: "I think the primary reason may be that we haven't been taught to look first at the strengths of
an idea."
As if to prove his premise, Firestien shows participants in his seminars a picture of an odd-looking wheelbarrow with a very large hopper, a short handle, and a single wheel behind the hopper. He
then calls for comments on its design.
Typical comments include: "The hopper is too big", "The handle is too short", "The wheel's in the wrong place", or "Go back to the drawing board, Roger!" Of course, all these "comments" are
criticisms.
In real life, he then explains, this wheelbarrow is used for high-rise construction, and there's an important reason for each design element.
"Ah, but you set us up!" is the standard,indignant response. "You didn't give us all the information on it."
To which the presenter politely replies by pointing out that most new ideas look like that when they're first proposed. Often, you don't have all the info on a new idea on hand when you first see
it.
Not so fast, please!
But why jump the gun by killing it on the spot? Firestien contends that this is, in fact, the knee-jerk reaction of many people to all new ideas.
What's the solution?
Let's say someone proposes an idea. (That "someone" could be another party: your boss, your subordinate, your colleague, friend or spouse; but it could also be YOU - your inner, creative, "real"
self!) If you're at all "normal", your natural urge will be to tear the concept to pieces.
But stop! Don't let your passions get the better of you! If Dr. Firestien had redrawn his wheelbarrow to fit in with all the comments he received, he would have come back to the same wheelbarrow
that has been in use for thousands of years.
Defer your judgment, just for a while.Has the idea no strengths at all? Focus on these first,and the drawbacks afterwards.
The fruits of your efforts may surprise you.
Azriel Winnett is creator of Hodu.com - Your Communication Skills Portal. This popular free website helps you improve your communication and relationship skills in your business or profess
ole in stimulating
creativity in research and development organizations.
In a magazine article a few years back, writer Arthur Gordon gave an almost frightening example of how far this can go.
At the University of Wisconsin, a group of budding writers, said to be brilliant boys with real literary talent among them, once formed a club to discuss their literary efforts.
Wranglers vs. Stranglers
At each meeting, one of them would read something he had written and submit it to the criticism of the others.No one pulled any punches here; in fact, the critiques were so brutal that the club
members dubbed themselves "The Stranglers".
Meanwhile, on the other side of campus, a group of women had also come together for the same purpose. The women called their little group "The Wranglers." They also took turns to read their
manuscripts aloud.
But here the similarity between the two groups ended, for the Wranglers would go out of their way to say kind things about each other. Far from sowing the seeds of self-doubt, they actively
supported each other, and encouraged all literary efforts, however feeble.
And the payoff came about twenty years later.
Gordon asserts that for all the sparkling talent residing in the Stranglers at the time, not one member of the band achieved any kind of literary reputation. From the Wranglers, on the other hand,
emerged a bevy of highly successful writers, led by Marjorie Kennan Rawlings who wrote The Yearling."
Dr. Firestien adds that his experience in business suggests that most organizations more closely follow the Stranglers' pattern than the Wranglers'.
"Why do we naturally gravitate towards the negative?" he asks, and then answers his own question: "I think the primary reason may be that we haven't been taught to look first at the strengths of
an idea."
As if to prove his premise, Firestien shows participants in his seminars a picture of an odd-looking wheelbarrow with a very large hopper, a short handle, and a single wheel behind the hopper. He
then calls for comments on its design.
Typical comments include: "The hopper is too big", "The handle is too short", "The wheel's in the wrong place", or "Go back to the drawing board, Roger!" Of course, all these "comments" are
criticisms.
In real life, he then explains, this wheelbarrow is used for high-rise construction, and there's an important reason for each design element.
"Ah, but you set us up!" is the standard,indignant response. "You didn't give us all the information on it."
To which the presenter politely replies by pointing out that most new ideas look like that when they're first proposed. Often, you don't have all the info on a new idea on hand when you first see
it.
Not so fast, please!
But why jump the gun by killing it on the spot? Firestien contends that this is, in fact, the knee-jerk reaction of many people to all new ideas.
What's the solution?
Let's say someone proposes an idea. (That "someone" could be another party: your boss, your subordinate, your colleague, friend or spouse; but it could also be YOU - your inner, creative, "real"
self!) If you're at all "normal", your natural urge will be to tear the concept to pieces.
But stop! Don't let your passions get the better of you! If Dr. Firestien had redrawn his wheelbarrow to fit in with all the comments he received, he would have come back to the same wheelbarrow
that has been in use for thousands of years.
Defer your judgment, just for a while.Has the idea no strengths at all? Focus on these first,and the drawbacks afterwards.
The fruits of your efforts may surprise you.
Azriel Winnett is creator of Hodu.com - Your Communication Skills Portal. This popular free website helps you improve your communication and relationship skills in your business or profess
Managing Change in the Workplace Change is exhilarating. Change is terrifying. Change is badly needed around here. Whatever your attitude is to change, it is the most reliable companion you will likely ever have. It will always be with you so are better off making friends! Here are three tips on managing change in your workplace:* Understand that growth requires change. If you double the number of customers you serve, how will your current systems hold up? Review current processes to see how they will work if workflow increases.*Let go of the emotions around change so you can have productive conversations with those who are involved. For instance, if you are a manager and your employees are resentful of a needed change, you can help create a productive dialogue by letting go of your personal investment in the outcome. Simply discuss the situation without ego, anger, or pride. Your employees will be more open to understanding why the change is necessary, and you may learn something new as well.* Look for opportunities to invite change. Where can your processes be streamlined? What can you learn from spots where things bog down now? Are you using an employee’s best gifts or simply using them where you need a warm body?When you become an active participant of change, and you remain receptive to its gifts, you can learn from it and grow with it.
utation. From the Wranglers, on the other hand,
emerged a bevy of highly successful writers, led by Marjorie Kennan Rawlings who wrote The Yearling."
Dr. Firestien adds that his experience in business suggests that most organizations more closely follow the Stranglers' pattern than the Wranglers'.
"Why do we naturally gravitate towards the negative?" he asks, and then answers his own question: "I think the primary reason may be that we haven't been taught to look first at the strengths of
an idea."
As if to prove his premise, Firestien shows participants in his seminars a picture of an odd-looking wheelbarrow with a very large hopper, a short handle, and a single wheel behind the hopper. He
then calls for comments on its design.
Typical comments include: "The hopper is too big", "The handle is too short", "The wheel's in the wrong place", or "Go back to the drawing board, Roger!" Of course, all these "comments" are
criticisms.
In real life, he then explains, this wheelbarrow is used for high-rise construction, and there's an important reason for each design element.
"Ah, but you set us up!" is the standard,indignant response. "You didn't give us all the information on it."
To which the presenter politely replies by pointing out that most new ideas look like that when they're first proposed. Often, you don't have all the info on a new idea on hand when you first see
it.
Not so fast, please!
But why jump the gun by killing it on the spot? Firestien contends that this is, in fact, the knee-jerk reaction of many people to all new ideas.
What's the solution?
Let's say someone proposes an idea. (That "someone" could be another party: your boss, your subordinate, your colleague, friend or spouse; but it could also be YOU - your inner, creative, "real"
self!) If you're at all "normal", your natural urge will be to tear the concept to pieces.
But stop! Don't let your passions get the better of you! If Dr. Firestien had redrawn his wheelbarrow to fit in with all the comments he received, he would have come back to the same wheelbarrow
that has been in use for thousands of years.
Defer your judgment, just for a while.Has the idea no strengths at all? Focus on these first,and the drawbacks afterwards.
The fruits of your efforts may surprise you.
Azriel Winnett is creator of Hodu.com - Your Communication Skills Portal. This popular free website helps you improve your communication and relationship skills in your business or profess
Shipping Basics When one wants to transport goods, either for personal or for business reasons, one has to deal with the issue of shipping. There are some basic guidelines on how to efficiently go about it.What one generally wants out of shipping is basically to get the goods on time, on the place specified, and on good condition. The cost of shipping is another factor that most people would consider when availing of such services. It is thus best that one takes the time to compare prices for each shipping provider.Most established shipping service companies would give you a quote on the expected cost of your shipping requirements. You can ask this thru their sales staff or you may conveniently access the standard computation thru their websites. With information you provide as dimensions of the package, weight, destination, expected time of arrival to the designated place and other details, you will have an idea of how much to eventually shell out when it comes to paying for the shipments.There are also companies, usually who also have internet presence, who offer to provide you with the lowest price in shipping with their own search and comparison of the best prices over the web. You may wonder though how they operate profitably without having to charge the customer with an extra fee. Just don’t buy in right away with what such firms have to offer. But with these companies, they are most likely selling their superior customer service and their extensive knowledge on the shipping system & workings.For your shipping needs, you may also want to go directly to the shipping service providers. Nowadays, these companies have excellent customer service and they have websites that you can look for the exact information you need, and they are upfront with the costs of your shipping requirements. Talk to their sales staff if you need clarifications, most are v
't have all the info on a new idea on hand when you first see
it.
Not so fast, please!
But why jump the gun by killing it on the spot? Firestien contends that this is, in fact, the knee-jerk reaction of many people to all new ideas.
What's the solution?
Let's say someone proposes an idea. (That "someone" could be another party: your boss, your subordinate, your colleague, friend or spouse; but it could also be YOU - your inner, creative, "real"
self!) If you're at all "normal", your natural urge will be to tear the concept to pieces.
But stop! Don't let your passions get the better of you! If Dr. Firestien had redrawn his wheelbarrow to fit in with all the comments he received, he would have come back to the same wheelbarrow
that has been in use for thousands of years.
Defer your judgment, just for a while.Has the idea no strengths at all? Focus on these first,and the drawbacks afterwards.
The fruits of your efforts may surprise you.
Azriel Winnett is creator of Hodu.com - Your Communication Skills Portal. This popular free website helps you improve your communication and relationship skills in your business or professional life, in the family unit and on the social scene. New articles added almost daily