Rewards Don’t Motivate

Wolfger says on September 17th, 2007 at 1:21 pm

I disagree with this idea. My near-constant gripe the past 5-6 years has been that there are no rewards for a job well done, other than being given more work. With no rewards to entice me to perform at my highest level, I may as well…. read and reply to posts on LifeHack.org

todd says on September 17th, 2007 at 1:45 pm

I think that rewards can be arbitrary and a de-motivation to those who do not receive them. Profit sharing and other systems where employees get more for working harder seems the logical solution to me. Invest employees in their jobs. Don’t wast their time with childish plaques or a cheap lunch.

Jared E. says on September 17th, 2007 at 2:55 pm

I agree with Wolfger. When rewards are given as a result of a job well done then there is motivation for doing well the next time too, and as a certain level of excellence is attained with every project, the goal for attaining a reward is increased. This makes every project better then the last.

jannerman says on September 17th, 2007 at 3:55 pm

Tricky one, whilst I don’t really think rewards are the best motivator it seems to work for dog training (and some children!) but I don’t know many people who respond that well to rewards. Mind you an annual bonus is still a welcome friend!

RC York says on September 17th, 2007 at 4:18 pm

I disagree as well. How do you explain the success of so many commissioned sales people and entrepreneurs. Without the expectation of a reward, ie. deferred gratification, why would they do it?

Maggie says on September 17th, 2007 at 5:19 pm

I disagree. If I don’t receive a reward for a job well done, over time I lose motivation and even feeling like there’s a purpose for what I do

Bill Wallace says on September 17th, 2007 at 7:44 pm

I’m a fan of Alfie’s and I totally agree with this. But you have to understand the context.

Rewards, on their own, don’t motivate long term. They will give you a spike of productivity occasionally but people have deeper needs - like appreciation and respect.

Giving money away is cheap management. Try getting involved with the person and finding out what their goals and motivations are - if you can connect with those, you’ll find money, or lunches, can lose their luster.

As for salespeople on commission - I’d almost agree with you there but then I’d ask what is the money for - that is their motivation. Plus, maybe they see no other way to earn a living and the thrill of the sale is enormous - ah, the ‘thrill’ - maybe that’s it. Maybe it’s also serving people well and they get handsomely rewarded as a consequence.

Rewards are good if used well. My experience has been “let’s give them money” that should satisfy them - as staff turnover continues to rise.

My101 says on September 17th, 2007 at 8:38 pm

I also disagree. It depends on what the reward is, (and not everyone is motivated by money). Freakonomics (Levitt, Dubner) covers this topic really well.

Jr says on September 18th, 2007 at 12:34 am

I agree. Rewards are nice, but not really a driver for me. I’ve never lost sight of the fact that I get “paid” every 2 weeks for the work that I do. That fact has always motivated me to keep doing what I do. I take pride in doing a good job in everything that I do. That’s enough for me.

Sarah Rainsberger says on September 18th, 2007 at 11:52 pm

I think a lot of people have missed the point. Rewards diminish one’s internal motivation for doing the task itself, not necessarily in general. You may become “happier” in general as an employee (or think you are - you have been conditioned since childhood to work for rewards) if your boss doles out rewards, but psychology 101 will tell you that your intrinsic motivation for doing the work itself will diminish.

Understanding the difference is important for understanding when and how to use rewards.

alphadog says on September 19th, 2007 at 10:34 am

Yet another “band-aid” article that over-simplifies a complex aspect of life. There are so many holes, I don’t even know where to begin.

For example, we are informed that “..at a Midwestern manufacturing company… an incentive system that had been in place for years was removed… the welders’ production rose…” Yet are not given any details about the program. Was it faulty? Did it reward the wrong behaviors? We don’t know and can’t evaluate for ourselves.

Another problematic quote: “people who expect to receive a reward do not perform as well as those who expect nothing.” This statement, while likely true, does not speak to the hypothesis that rewards cause demotivation. Rather, it shows a correlation between *people expecting rewards* and poor performance. Furthermore, we are not informed which studies are being referenced so that we can trace back and evaluate if the author misrepresented or misread the studies.

In my experience, and this is purely subjective (as opposed to solutions masquerading as fact), it’s not just rewards (most common systems?) or just emoting/collaborating (Kohn’s thrust?) or just fear (Machiavelli? ) that will produce a productive workforce, but rather a mix of all of these factors that must be carefully balanced.

I would agree that many managers probably pick only one, likely fumble it anyways, and never look at the others that lie fallow, and that is why most environments are unproductive relative to their capabilities.

- alphadog

Sabrina says on September 19th, 2007 at 11:17 am

OK fantastic. Since rewards don’t motivate some folks how about passing them on to those of us in support roles? I’m sure we can put them to good use and I’m certain it would help motivate me.

°flo says on September 23rd, 2007 at 6:01 pm

Of course they motivate!!