The Shift In Thinking- Rewards And Recognition

Introduction:

The shift in thinking about rewards and recognition reflects a shift in thinking about employees as a resource, not a commodity. The issue quality leaders are addressing is how to align their compensation and recogni­tion programs with their new management model so that employees are rewarded and recognized for their achievements and motivated to do even better.

Principles of quality management:

The best way to begin the alignment is by using the principles of quality management to assess and improve ongoing compensation and recogni­tion programs;

1. Learn what the "customers" of the programs need and expect. You can develop effective programs only if they are based on the needs and expectations of all employees.
2. Focus on recognizing and rewarding the achievement of teara goals. The new management model relies on teamwork to succeed. Touting individual accomplishments when you are trying to encourage team-work can be destructive.
3. Make at-risk pay and formal recognition dependent on measurable performance. Even better, have the employees establish, collect, and control the measurements. And better yet, make the measurements measure team performance

• Finally, don't make your program worse. in your haste to improve quality, it is tempting to create a flashy Quality Award or a pay-for-quality plan that seems to promote exactly what you are looking for.

• Resist the temptation.

• Pay and recognition address some very basic human needs, such as security, acceptance, self-respect, achievement, and appreciation.

• You may introduce a new reward for all the right reasons, but if you have not talked to and involved employees in the process, it is likely to fail—or worse, it may leave employees feeling manipulated and controlled when you are trying to motivate and involve them.