SITE NEWS
Pride over prize: the impact of peer-
to-peer motivation on incentive programmes Employee incentives have a history of encouraging competition amongst teams. Are we going far enough to harness the power of peer-to-peer motivation and, how we can protect our teams from the negative impacts of competition? By Anthony Kelly
R
eward and recognition is a time served tool in an employer’s motivational arsenal. In fact it dates back much further than any of us can imagine. Jay Whitehead explains in his HRO Today article that the first recorded act of employee motivation was conducted by Cyrus The Great, who was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire (known by us today as Iran). His method of motivational reward took the form of a ceremony involving a shoulder pat, a beverage, and a coin featuring Cyrus’ head. This was to incentivise construction workers to rebuild the Jerusalem Temple in 538 BC. While employee incentives have moved on a little these days, the premise still remains the same. Incentivising is effectively the dangling of a carrot to encourage effective working practices that will hopefully exceed the set objectives. However, as Cyrus recognised, there is power in the publicity of incentivisation. He could quite easily have given his workers a coin in a discrete manner, but
he recognised that a public ceremony added value to the gifting. His reasoning behind this is unknown. It may be that he wanted to incite the competitive nature among his employees so that
they would all strive to be better than each other, alternatively it may be that he thought workers would be inspired by the success of others or that the pressure from family and loved ones to
What we’re all about: motivational experiences Why we do it? Business results! Site is the only global network of travel and event professionals committed to motivational experiences that deliver business results. Site provides insights and connections that inspire the utilisation of this powerful tool across diverse industries, regions and cultures. Site serves as a source of knowledge and best practices where members can make personal connections that sustain professional growth. Only one organisation sits at the critical intersection between those who seek the benefits of motivational tools and those who can provide these extraordinary experiences. That organisation is Site...
Contact
Email: info@sitesouthernafrica.com www.sitesouthernafrica.com www.siteglobal.com
