02:05
Faizan
In a world where high performance is a prerequisite for success, and therefore survival, the question of how to sustain high performance invariably pops up to the mind. So, what is the secret sauce to sustained high performance?
Employee Recognition is easily the first response that comes to mind! I have no fight with that one. Employee Recognition is indeed a key ingredient for we are social creatures with a voracious appetite for acceptance and recognition of achievement.
In fact, good organizations have invested time and resources to having well-intentioned Rewards & Recognition programs for high performance, all of them having a variety of permutations and combinations - from 'best employee' tags to cash payouts to gift vouchers to all paid vacations, and more! Do such efforts pay off? Sure! But....there's that catch word, if you notice, all of them have a financial basis. By definition, cash based awards have a ceiling as every organization works within a limited budget. The question then is, how long can this budget stretch? At a time when cost control is of prime importance, prudent organizations know that is time for exploring non-cash based rewards and recognition packages.
Let's take a look at a partial list of non-financial programs that motivate employees to perform better:
career development through training opportunities
increased job responsibilities
individual and public praise
stretch assignments
job mobility that would enhance knowledge and skill and prepare them for the next move
flexi-time or time off.........and a whole lot of other ideas
So, in essence, a good Reward and Recognition program is a blend of both financial and non-financial reward. The key is in knowing what the individual motivators are for your employees. Employees have deep emotional needs that need to be met to achieve sustained high performance.
Culture plays a key role in establishing that sense of belonging and appreciation of being recognized. A corporate culture that promotes openness, collaboration, communication, easy flow of and acceptance of ideas, and strong ethics goes a long way in making employees feel like they belong and appreciated.
Having good Job definitions enables employees to derive job satisfaction by knowing what and how much is expected of them.
Organizational leaders who walk the talk and are role models inspire higher levels of engagement and performance from good employees just as much as the direct manager. A good corporate culture will not be adequate if the quality of managerial cadre is sub par.
When employees have a clear 'line of sight' of organizational strategy and how it ties to customer interface, it helps individual contribution to be better aligned with strategic goals. Often times, we find that the rank and file have a muddled understanding, at best, of an organization's strategic priorities and its plans to achieve these. A huge lost opportunity! Great organizations have been known to communicate, communicate, communicate...! Employees are able to connect the progress and their own role in contributing to an organization's success.
Employee Recognition is easily the first response that comes to mind! I have no fight with that one. Employee Recognition is indeed a key ingredient for we are social creatures with a voracious appetite for acceptance and recognition of achievement.
In fact, good organizations have invested time and resources to having well-intentioned Rewards & Recognition programs for high performance, all of them having a variety of permutations and combinations - from 'best employee' tags to cash payouts to gift vouchers to all paid vacations, and more! Do such efforts pay off? Sure! But....there's that catch word, if you notice, all of them have a financial basis. By definition, cash based awards have a ceiling as every organization works within a limited budget. The question then is, how long can this budget stretch? At a time when cost control is of prime importance, prudent organizations know that is time for exploring non-cash based rewards and recognition packages.
Let's take a look at a partial list of non-financial programs that motivate employees to perform better:
career development through training opportunities
increased job responsibilities
individual and public praise
stretch assignments
job mobility that would enhance knowledge and skill and prepare them for the next move
flexi-time or time off.........and a whole lot of other ideas
So, in essence, a good Reward and Recognition program is a blend of both financial and non-financial reward. The key is in knowing what the individual motivators are for your employees. Employees have deep emotional needs that need to be met to achieve sustained high performance.
Culture plays a key role in establishing that sense of belonging and appreciation of being recognized. A corporate culture that promotes openness, collaboration, communication, easy flow of and acceptance of ideas, and strong ethics goes a long way in making employees feel like they belong and appreciated.
Having good Job definitions enables employees to derive job satisfaction by knowing what and how much is expected of them.
Organizational leaders who walk the talk and are role models inspire higher levels of engagement and performance from good employees just as much as the direct manager. A good corporate culture will not be adequate if the quality of managerial cadre is sub par.
When employees have a clear 'line of sight' of organizational strategy and how it ties to customer interface, it helps individual contribution to be better aligned with strategic goals. Often times, we find that the rank and file have a muddled understanding, at best, of an organization's strategic priorities and its plans to achieve these. A huge lost opportunity! Great organizations have been known to communicate, communicate, communicate...! Employees are able to connect the progress and their own role in contributing to an organization's success.
Posted in: business
