RE: Incentives

["Eugene Taurman" <ilx@execpc.com>]

Donuts are a very powerful incentive.

Once while at a small company we needed to improve the safety record. So we
offered free donuts and coffee each month that we did not have a lost time
accident. It worked great and we were over a year with out a lost time
accident.

One day it came to my attention that a maintenance man had been hit in the
head by a drafting board spring but he came back from the emergency room to
work so we did not have a lost time accident. Oops?

However, I thought maybe things we ok and continued donuts and coffee for
everyone. Some weeks later I heard that a girl had no been discouraged by
peers from taking time to have her foot looked at by a Dr. She had dropped a
heavy piece of cast iron on it.

All incentives cause behavior. The question is what kind. We must always
educate in the real intention or we will get unexpected behavior form them.
The first thing that happens when we install profit sharing is saving paper
clips and other trivial issues. Unless mangers know what behavior causes
profit and educate the troops behavior will be inconsistent with the best
interest of the organization

>From then on I use education and reporting systems to encourage the right
priorities.


This topic has given me more usable information to help explain the problems
with incentives than any since I have been a subscriber.  THANKS

Eugene Taurman
interLinx
http://www.execpc.com/~ilx

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