Imagination and Merit-Based Work
20 July 2009
Read by 2076 persons
«Man is not made to work; the proof is that he gets tired» said Sacha Guitry.
The relationship between man and work fascinates and challenges me daily.
When I was a student, I did two internships in the same summer. One at FIAT in Turin, the other at BLUE CROSS in Louisville, Kentucky. When an employee arrived one minute late, FIAT deducted ¼ of an hour's salary. This meant there was a queue at the coffee machine... for the latecomers who "consumed" their entire penalty. At BLUE CROSS, when an employee was punctual for a whole month, they were given a half-day holiday…
These two responses to the same problem still resonate with me more than 30 years later. What is the best sanction to use to encourage employees to work, knowing that the word sanction refers to both reward and its opposite?
The carrot and the stick are still relevant, but their effectiveness can be questioned. Besides, managers are not very original in imagining motivation systems.
Do we need performance-related bonuses, stock options, share ownership, recognition? Or maybe nothing at all?
Employers have often used different motivation systems, but with unsatisfactory, even disappointing results... What if we innovated, what if we went crazy?
In a very small or small company, I would start by considering the individual motivation of each employee. What makes them tick? What pushes them to work? Contractually, their pay corresponds to their contribution. But if we want them to exceed simple presence with real performance, we still need an incentive system. And who better than they to tell us what would motivate an employee to work better?
Let's imagine an à la carte system where each employee could choose their sanction: money, training, holidays, a magazine subscription, a business card, a parking space in the company yard, their photo in the company newspaper, a promotion, a career plan, a more impressive title…
Professional conscience alone does not stand the test of time, and each of us knows what would push us to make an effort, to act more and better.
Under these conditions, why not imagine part of the merit-based pay by choosing the sanction together? Why not take advantage of the annual performance review or the new professional development interview to define, together, a "win-win" approach, which would make the employee more responsible and could evolve each year?
Excerpt from the book "A collection of intellectual vitamins for common-sense management"
Author Florian Mantione
Posted online July 20, 2009
florianmantione.com
The relationship between man and work fascinates and challenges me daily.
When I was a student, I did two internships in the same summer. One at FIAT in Turin, the other at BLUE CROSS in Louisville, Kentucky. When an employee arrived one minute late, FIAT deducted ¼ of an hour's salary. This meant there was a queue at the coffee machine... for the latecomers who "consumed" their entire penalty. At BLUE CROSS, when an employee was punctual for a whole month, they were given a half-day holiday…
These two responses to the same problem still resonate with me more than 30 years later. What is the best sanction to use to encourage employees to work, knowing that the word sanction refers to both reward and its opposite?
The carrot and the stick are still relevant, but their effectiveness can be questioned. Besides, managers are not very original in imagining motivation systems.
Do we need performance-related bonuses, stock options, share ownership, recognition? Or maybe nothing at all?
Employers have often used different motivation systems, but with unsatisfactory, even disappointing results... What if we innovated, what if we went crazy?
In a very small or small company, I would start by considering the individual motivation of each employee. What makes them tick? What pushes them to work? Contractually, their pay corresponds to their contribution. But if we want them to exceed simple presence with real performance, we still need an incentive system. And who better than they to tell us what would motivate an employee to work better?
Let's imagine an à la carte system where each employee could choose their sanction: money, training, holidays, a magazine subscription, a business card, a parking space in the company yard, their photo in the company newspaper, a promotion, a career plan, a more impressive title…
Professional conscience alone does not stand the test of time, and each of us knows what would push us to make an effort, to act more and better.
Under these conditions, why not imagine part of the merit-based pay by choosing the sanction together? Why not take advantage of the annual performance review or the new professional development interview to define, together, a "win-win" approach, which would make the employee more responsible and could evolve each year?
Excerpt from the book "A collection of intellectual vitamins for common-sense management"
Author Florian Mantione
Posted online July 20, 2009
florianmantione.com
