Why Incentive and Engagement Programs Fail (not what you think)

For 20+ years I've been seeing information on how to motivate, engage, retain, and influence, employees and channel partners.

For 20+ years I've been seeing the SAME information on how to motivate, engage, retain and influence employees and channel partners.

I continue to ask myself - "Why?"  Why does it seem that nothing has been accomplished?  Why do we continue to recycle the same information?  How may times have you seen:

• Communicate with your audience
• Provide reinforcement for behaviors that are aligned with mission/vision/values
• Ensure reward programs include choice of reward to assure that audience members find the incentive valuable
• Management must engage with their employees if they want employees to engage with them
• Recognition must be personal, timely and specific

How many times?  Too many.

Companies Don't Care About Engagement

I had dinner with a CEO of a $150 million service company with 300 employees a couple of months ago.  We were chatting about the things that were high on his priority list and wellness come up.  Here's the comment I got from the CEO...

"I don't care about wellness.  Do I really care if someone is overweight or if they smoke?  Hell, no.  I care if it affects the bottom line - and it does.  If I thought I could get away without running a wellness program and still lower my costs I'd do it.  Most CEOs don't care about the wellness of their employees - what they care about is the financial impact of employee wellness."

At the time it just kinda rolled off of me and I filed it under - "don't try to talk wellness initiatives and don't ask for a personal favor from this guy."

But as I see all the repeat advice and repeat information on how to drive performance and engagement I think the real issue isn't that companies can't engage - it's they really, really don't care to engage.

My point is this...

If you run engagement to drive business results you will fail.

If you run wellness programs to drive business results you will fail.

If your run reward programs to drive business results you will fail.

But... But...

...if you run programs to engage with employees because you care about their opinions

...if you run recognition programs to see the recipient's face light up

...if you run wellness programs because you don't want to see that person die young or be a burden to their family

You will succeed.

 

Don't run programs because you want results - run programs because you care.

Run programs because you want the individual to benefit - not because you want stockholders to benefit.

Run programs because it makes sense to help others and be a part of THEIR success.

Don't run programs so that the participant can be part of YOUR success.

I'm not against results - I'm against results at the expense of a true connection to an audience.  I want results - I just want to engage more. 

I really, really, really (one more time) really believe that if you focus on what others want and need - you'll get what you want and need.

 

Comments

[twitter.com/femelmed]

so, paul....for me, that boils down to the notion that company's need to care and act with integrity to succeed. and that these traits give them the wherewithal to stick with hard, perceived as risky or counterintuitive choices. and it's *this* that really makes the difference.

f

(p.s. i like the dan pink presentation. nice alternative option...keep with it!)

[Paul Hebert]

You only took 10 words to say what I said in an entire post! No wonder you a communications guru. But bottom line- you're right.

Integrity and caring - who woulda thunk?

[Bret Simmons]

Paul, this is excellent!! I strongly concur. If you don't really care, you can spend throw all the money you want at it and it won't matter. But if you DO really care, it will cost you far less in the long run. There is just no substitute for caring. Keep up the great work! Bret

[Steve Boese]

Treat your employees like you expect them to treat your customers. All of us know from our consumer experiences which companies really care about their customers and it does not take long for employees to make the same determination about their employers. And there is no doubt in my mind that it all transfers to customer service in the end.

[Paul Hebert]

Agree - but the same people that don't care about their employees health - only the bottom line - typically don't care about their customers either - just the $ they spend with them.

[Dr. jim Sellner PhD., DipC.]

Right on man!

Its the Platinum Rule - do onto others as they value to be done onto them. Good rule in long-term intimate relationships too.

Also the S.A.L.T principle.

InS.pire. Be GoA.l-directed. Respect the EmotionaL. SaT.isfy their values.

To activate enlightened self-interest.

dr jim sellner, PhD.,DipC.

[Scott Crandall]

Grand slam home run! I believe you hit on 24ct solid gold truth. That's the bad news.
The good news is that so few people (esp. CEOs, VPs, Directors, Managers?) truly care about others, and this level of engagement happens so rarely that it keeps people in our business in business, designing programs that work a little at the margins, but seldom at the core. And so long as the core doesn't "get it", they'll want "programs" to do it.
Your insight calls for a near-revolution -- or at least a shattering recognition of what's real. I say: you're absolutely correct, and good luck sweeping up the sea with a broom.

[Paul Hebert]

"Sweeping up the sea" - I have to remember that one!

Just need a few CEO types that don't think their "above" the fray!

[twitter.com/femelmed]

some guru. i just saw my type-o on "company's" instead of "companies" ....
f

[Paul Hebert]

like the spokeswoman for Progressives says ... "that's all right, I do it all the time."