The e-mail comes out at noon. "To celebrate your hard work this
week, there is cake and ice cream in the big kitchen at 3 today.
Be there!"
The universal reward for hard work always seems to be food: cake
and ice cream, a catered lunch for in-service training sessions,
pizza for the overtime crew, bagels and cream cheese to brighten
up a bleak Monday morning.
Food seems to be the perennial favorite for any kind of work
reward because it is universally accepted. Some of us (we hard
core dieters) may pass on the sweet stuff but usually find
something allowable. In a world where two thirds of us are
overweight or obese, is there nothing else available as a gift
that cuts across all individual interests?
Recently, we had a whole week at my company devoted to employee
appreciation. The primary rewards were, of course, food but
other things were added: a company baseball cap, a hiking water
container, a lunch bag, and a handwritten note of thanks to
every employee from their supervisor. The cap was a bust for
those of us with any modicum of fashion sense; the insulated
flask and bag were food related, and the handwritten notes were
superfluous - good supervisors show their appreciation of hard
work constantly while a handwritten note from a harsh
supervisor, no matter the "thanks" stated, means diddly squat to
a resentful employee.
The HAS to be something else, doesn't there? We human beings
have few things totally in common and eating is the primary
universal. Other common bodily activities such as urination and
defecation are not easily translatable into some kind of reward
system. We are all involved in physical activity, to some
degree, but that is often more a chore than a delight.
When it comes to our other senses, we all differ so much that
one person's pleasure is another person's pain: music, perfume,
pictures, or massages are differential tastes rather than
general givens.
Money is almost always acceptable but the small amounts that
would be individually generated to replace a free dessert or
snack would be so minimal that their reward value would be
insignificant.
So what can those of us on a permanent diet, and alarmed about
our coworkers' increased girth, suggest?
How about plants? Small individual pots or a larger department
shrub would save our waistlines while adding to the health and
esthetics of our environment. I calculate, just within my call
center, that if a plant had been given to each department,
instead of an edible goodie, for celebrations over the past 5
years, that I would now be working in a lush rain forest of
exotic plants where the stale re-processed air conditioned air
would be purer, more humid, and a thousand times fresher. Morale
booster and health benefits in one fell swoop!
How about the gift of time? In our overly busy pressured lives,
who would not be immensely grateful for a free hour here or
there. Rotate it through each department, letting one or two
people leave early on a Friday afternoon. That would means
something and would carry no cost so upper management should be
ecstatic.
Instead of a handwritten note, how about getting Supervisors to
perform their subordinates work duties for an hour or so, once
in a while? Can you imagine the morale boost for an employee to
get off the telephone, or the machine, or the computer, and
shoot the breeze with friends for an hour while their duties are
performed by their supervisors? And if mistakes are made - so
much the better. It creates a sense of equality and
inter-relationship between workers and supervisors that is
generally lacking in a corporate environment.
How about free "Get out of jail" cards for every line worker?
Each person gets one free card and additional cards can be given
by supervisors for outstanding work, ensuring that the better
workers have more cards. The cards can then be used as excuses
for small transgressions - coming in a little late, leaving
early, making minor mistakes. With the use of the card, a worker
avoids verbal coaching, warnings, or being put on report. And
let employees use their cards for coworkers who may need them -
think of the teambuilding that would accomplish!
Flexibility of hours, assignments, and days, is another area
where workers will universally respond: not to money, or food,
but to accommodation of individual needs. Give each employee a
wish card and then allow them to use it to get something they
need.
What does all of this accomplish? It allows for employee rewards
without fats and carbohydrates. Now isn't that worthwhile?
P. S. I'm recommending this to my company. I'll let you know if
they buy it!
About the author:
Virginia Bola is a licensed psychologist and admitted diet
fanatic specializing in the effects of attitudes and motivation
on individual goals. She recently published a
psychologically-based workbook, "Diet with an Attitude" which
develops mental skills for permanent weight control. Reach her
at
http://www.DietWithAnAttitude.com/index2.html
