I have told the story in the past about losing my wallet several years ago when I lived in an apartment complex. I had dropped it in the parking lot and someone found it... but they waited a full day to contact me. After soul searching through the afternoon and evening and overnight, the finder decided to do the right thing and I finally got a call the next day. We met in the parking lot and he proudly handed me the wallet. "Go ahead and look through it... it's all there.", he said with the look of someone who had taken great pride in the act. I told him that wasn't necessary and shook his hand. I then tried to hand him a $20 bill.... I could see the man visible deflate. The pride was gone in an instant and he looked dejected. Only later did I understand... by offering him the money, I had turned a triumph in morality into a financial decision. For you Maslow fans out there, I knocked him down the pyramid.
Don't pull the rug out from under your employees. When your people do something really great, allow them the honor of doing it for the right reasons (because they love what they do). It is tempting to show your appreciation by giving them something in return... in fact, this is often encouraged in management schools. This treats people like machines instead of like people.
Maslow showed us that people have different layers of needs. If you are hungry, you probably aren't going to be very open to learning new concepts or pursuing more fulfilling avenues. This makes sense from a biological standpoint. We are hardwired not to get so distracted on our creativity that we forget to eat.
Since food has become a lesser issue for most people than it was for our caveman descendants, a new basic need is money. Many people have a job they would love to do, but they don't do it because it won't meet their monetary needs. We are hardwired to think this way.
It is also easy for us to get distracted.
I know many stories of people who were working in their ideal job and get fooled into a job that is much worse for more money. They generally regret the decision. It seems obvious to take a different job that pays a lot more... but truthfully, it is far from obvious. Our instincts work to make sure we are fed before we look to be fulfilled.
So as an employer, be careful not to distract your employees. People often ask me about compensation and reward structures and I always respond with the same advice... "Pay Quietly". Make sure your people are neither too worried about not making enough money or too distracted by opportunities to make more. Make sure they are focused on doing the right things and when they do the right things, let them know you appreciate it from the bottom of your heart, not your wallet.
Don't pull the rug out from under your employees. When your people do something really great, allow them the honor of doing it for the right reasons (because they love what they do). It is tempting to show your appreciation by giving them something in return... in fact, this is often encouraged in management schools. This treats people like machines instead of like people.
Maslow showed us that people have different layers of needs. If you are hungry, you probably aren't going to be very open to learning new concepts or pursuing more fulfilling avenues. This makes sense from a biological standpoint. We are hardwired not to get so distracted on our creativity that we forget to eat.
Since food has become a lesser issue for most people than it was for our caveman descendants, a new basic need is money. Many people have a job they would love to do, but they don't do it because it won't meet their monetary needs. We are hardwired to think this way.
It is also easy for us to get distracted.
I know many stories of people who were working in their ideal job and get fooled into a job that is much worse for more money. They generally regret the decision. It seems obvious to take a different job that pays a lot more... but truthfully, it is far from obvious. Our instincts work to make sure we are fed before we look to be fulfilled.
So as an employer, be careful not to distract your employees. People often ask me about compensation and reward structures and I always respond with the same advice... "Pay Quietly". Make sure your people are neither too worried about not making enough money or too distracted by opportunities to make more. Make sure they are focused on doing the right things and when they do the right things, let them know you appreciate it from the bottom of your heart, not your wallet.
RSS Feed