Welcome to the Clarity Quiz!

What is the best way to motivate your employees?

1. Reward them financially
2. Recognize them in public
3. Recognize them in private
4. Remove obstacles to progress
5. Give them jobs they love
6. Explain the value of success

Make your selection and then read more.

If you chose #4, #5, #6, or all three of those, congratulations! Those are great answers.

When we are doing something we love, we don’t need recognition or rewards. Sure, both are nice, but when we really love the activity, we are naturally energized and eager to continue. If in addition, we experience discernible progress, we are likely to keep on plugging. If on top of that, we believe the goal is important, people best get out of our way!

Even when we don’t love the activity, progress and the importance of success can generate that fire that keeps us going.

Thus, managers are rewarded with employees who are intrinsically motivated to do a great job and succeed when they:

• Match employees to jobs that are compelling to them
• Remove obstacles to success, and
• Help employees understand the importance of their work

Praise has its place in helping employees see and feel their value and the value of their work, but all the praise in the world has little impact if employees dislike what they are doing, believe their work is of little value, and see minimal progress or chance of success. Public recognition also has its place in giving people a sense of belonging and value, but keep in mind that not everyone appreciates public recognition. And while both public and private recognition and praise can be important, hollow praise and recognition for the wrong reasons are of fleeting value at best. If you concentrate on removing obstacles and helping people succeed, the opportunities to celebrate will be more frequent, more genuine, and of much greater significance to all involved.

Plenty of studies have shown that money is the least motivating of all (unless the employee is struggling to make ends meet). Pay increases generally produce a temporary bump in productivity, if anything. Installing better lighting can have the same effect.

So why do organizations spend so much time and energy playing around with rewards and recognition? Beats me!