Deseret News Archives,
Sunday, February 17, 2002

Edition: All
Section: Money
Page: M01
Length: 71 lines

Make rewards sparkle

As a follow--up to my compensation article published last month, I wanted to share some ideas for thanking and rewarding employees for their extra effort.

Our fondest memories in life are associated with people, events and experiences. Monetary rewards can have an immediate positive impact but may not have that lasting and memorable effect we desire as business owners and managers. By following a few principles on how to thank and reward your associates, you may be able to create the impact you desire.

Be sincere. Take the time and create the opportunity to make sure your employees know they are appreciated. Call them into your office, meet after work for a few minutes or visit them at home. One year, I had our senior managers hand-deliver bonuses to managers at their homes. I not only wanted the manager to know how we felt about their work, but also the spouse and family members. I communicated to the children how we felt about their father or mother before I physically handed the check to the parent.

Make it personal. If possible, tailor the award to the individuals involved. I'm aware of one company where a group of employees combined their efforts to achieve something unusual. The thank you was an evening sleigh ride and dinner for the group, an activity where they could share their accomplishment as a team.

Include the spouse or significant other. They often sacrifice as much as the employee. Write a letter to the spouse or significant other and tell them how great their partner is and what they are doing. Include them in the experience and publicly express to them that they contributed to the success that is being recognized.

Don't wait for an event. Make it part of your job to write a letter to the employee and/or partner expressing your feelings. Send it to their home address; don't drop it in the company interoffice mail. Make a random phone call when they least expect it and tell them that you were thinking about how much you appreciate their efforts. In short, make it a surprise and make it meaningful.

Create something new and different. Too many rely on the same old program to handle these issues. Sameness leads to expectation, and expectation can lead to frustration if you do not perform exactly as in the past. New programs create excitement and have greater impact.

Many years ago I learned that when we are dissatisfied with the money we receive for our efforts, an increase in that monetary payment will never bring us long-term satisfaction. The best that we can hope for is momentary satisfaction and then a quick return to dissatisfaction.

We need to dig deeper as employers and owners in seeking to compensate, reward and thank our associates. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "The only gift is a portion of thyself." There is nothing wrong with tangible rewards, though we probably can achieve results that are more lasting if we deliver them with sincerity, creativity and sparkle!

Gary Williams, a former CEO of a high-tech firm, is affiliated with the BYU Center for Entrepreneurship. He can be contacted via e-mail at cfe@byu.edu.

© 2001 Deseret News Publishing Co.