Incentive - June 2008 - (Page 33)

“What we’re hoping is that these people who want to get involved will jump on board with a huge idea. Because they’re excited, they’ll be infectious to their peers ” –Andrea Epstein, Las Vegas Hilton “Because of its rewards and recognition program, the engagement of their employees has increased.” Another company sends customized care packages to deployed military personnel who are related to its employees, adds Gibson, who could not reveal the company’s name. Not only does this motivate employees to excel at their job, but it also enhances company loyalty, she says. So does using employees to inspire their peers. That’s what the Las Vegas Hilton hopes will convert most of its 2,700 workers into employee advocates for the organization, says Andrea Epstein, the hotel’s training and development manager. Epstein, along with several district managers and senior executives, recently formed Club 212°. The name reflects the temperature at which water boils—suggesting that ideas will boil over, too. This core committee selected 60 supervisors who typically volunteer for special work or community projects. Then those 60 nominated 200 other employees to work with them on various committees that handle employee events, conservation, philanthropy or departmental issues. The core committee then cut that list in half, to 100 employees. “Our goal is to have these folks help us motivate everybody else,” she says, adding that employees can now engage in fun, new experiences. “What we’re hoping is that these people who want to get involved will jump on board with a huge idea. Because they’re excited, they’ll be infectious to their peers and create more [employee] advocates.” The hotel began generating excitement about the volunteer program earlier this year by hosting a luncheon for the 60 supervisors and a formal party for all participants. Once projects are under way, participants will also be featured in the hotel’s internal communications. Only time will tell whether or not the strategy works. Meanwhile, the ability to motivate employees is a function of an organization’s culture, not the economy, adds Ron Price, chief executive officer at Price Associates, a business consulting firm in Nampa, Idaho. “I don’t accept the premise that a sluggish economy means bad things for business,” he says. “A good leader will see that every problem has potential wrapped up inside of it to be unleashed with good thinking, experimentation, innovation and collaboration.” Regardless of the economic climate, he believes people are motivated when they perform meaningful work and are shown by their employer that their opinions and contributions matter. Back in the 1990s, when Price was president of Aim International, a global nutrition company, he invited the company’s 200 employees to write an 800-word essay explaining the company’s new business strategy. Approximately 20 workers responded. Five winners were chosen and awarded $100 cash along with a restaurant gift certificate. Their essays were also published in the company’s internal newsletter. “We were developing our model for how to communicate strategy in a way that would be motivating,” Price says. “We recognized that people are more motivated when they’re talking than when they’re listening.” Other employers have followed a similar path. He points to a steel and scrap metal company that invited its future leaders to help create a new leadership model. Likewise, he says a global manufacturer formed a leadership team whose members represent 15 percent of its total workforce and participate in the development of the company’s strategic plan. The lesson here, says Price, is that the economy is not to blame for poor employee performance. Employers interested in motivating staff must solicit their advice and participation at all times. Although he’s not critical of financial incentives as employee motivators, he says nothing beats communicating basic trust and respect. “People ultimately want to be viewed as human, not animals at the zoo where if you feed them peanuts, they’ll do tricks for you,” Price says. “If you try to replace those fundamental human characteristics with something artificial like compensation, you’re always going to have problems with motivation. People are deeply motivated at a different level than by putting a carrot out there and asking them to chase it.” s ALL FOR ONE incentivemag.com | June 2008 | Incentive | 33 http://incentivemag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Incentive - June 2008

Incentive - June 2008 Contents Editor’s Note In The News Cover Story: Seventh Annual Industry Roundtable Incentive Interview Case Study Soft Incentives Empowerment and Engagement The Incentive Career Incentive Primer Travel News: Where To Go and What To Do The Cook Islands Field Report: Bermuda Potentials: Here and Now 50 Top Motivators: The Best of the Best Electronics: High-end Audio Equipment Gift Cards: Should One Be Enough? Advertiser Index Off The Cuff

Incentive - June 2008

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