Balancing Incentives and Discipline For Optimal Work Performance!

Humans differ likewise their behavioral pattern and what motivates them. For some it can be encouragement, others can be rewards with gifts and other stuffs. But on the other side, one can be deprived of the rewards due to breaking a rule and that's punishment. So In trying to either encourage someone, reward or even punish for whatever reason, it's imperative to understand how to implement them so as to achieve your desired outcome.

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Every individual needs some kind of encouragement in life. Encouragement can come in the form of appreciating or praising someone for doing something, or motivating them to do something and even finish up a task that might have seemed difficult at first.

So here are some ways to use encouragement;

• Be specific.

Being specific about the reason for encouraging someone especially in the aspect of praise is very important because it lets the person know exactly what you appreciate about their actions, which makes the praise more meaningful.
For instance, if a colleague handled a situation with a client at the office, you can appreciate the person by saying, "you did a great job in handling the situation with the client today. Your diplomacy skills are impressive".

Even here on Hive, when you read a quality post, dropping comments pointing out what you gained from the post and commending them for their efforts in creating the post will go along way to encourage them create more quality contents. Writing just good job, well done, isn't the best way to go.

Again, if you see someone struggling to finish a task or project, the encouragement can come in the way of telling them how important their work is and how much you appreciate their effort. I tell you the person will be motivated to finish it.

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• Use positive reinforcement.

This is another great strategy that helps increase productivity, promote healthy competition and motivation for hard work. For example, a team head could offer to give the team members a certain percentage if they make a specific amount of sales in a week or month.
This was exactly the encouragement strategy my marketing manager used at the first place I worked, a telecommunications company, some years ago. And I tell you, we made massive sales and smiled home with our rewards. 😂

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I believe everyone likes to be rewarded, one way or the other for doing a good job, I love it too much, hehehe. Reward is very important as it is a great way to motivate people and equally appreciate their hard work. But it's worthy of note that different people respond to different types of rewards.

There are so many ways of rewarding one's performance like

• Gift items.
• Recognition in the form of awarding certificate of service accompanied by monetary and tangible gifts, verbal praise or note, etc.
• Special privileges like adding extra day off from work.

All these are good and a good form of motivation but they can only last for a time. Therefore I think that the most effective way to appreciate one's great work and reward them is by promoting them because it's more pronounced and shows growth.

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As a worker, offering me a type of reward that will greatly motivate me has to be something that will impact my life and change my work level or status, and in this case, it's promotion. It is said that something that is worth doing is worth doing well so if my employer has seen the need to reward my hard work, then promotion is it. I believe it's the dream of every worker to be promoted, I, inclusive. You can't continue to stay at one grade level for donkey years, that's not motivating.

Also promotion comes with an increase in paycheck and other benefits, who wouldn't want that extra dollars or naira added to their paycheck in this sapaic (hard) times, hehehe.
Another thing about promotion is that it charges you to be more committed and give your best.

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While there are rewards for hard work, there are also punishment for neglecting work or violating a rule. Every organization has ways whereby they mete out punishment to defaulters depending upon what the person did.
The most common and I believe effective ones are namely;

• Adding extra tasks or duties to the individual for not completing their initial tasks can serve as a good punishment..

Example could be for the person to work extra hours without pay.

• Another one is taking away access to certain privileges, freedom, activities or resources the person has for a period of time, until behavior is improved.

This can be applied not only in work places but homes too. I remember when I was a kid, each time I go out to play without doing my chores, I will be grounded from playing for days until my parents feel that I have learnt and will pardon me. So that made me strive to always finish my chores, home work before thinking of playing.

• The person could also be made to pay fine for violating a rule. Reduction of salary is also a part of it. These can act as a strong deterrent for unacceptable behavior in the workplace.

Like in my former workplace, lateness and absenteeism without being authorized attract reduction in one's salary, and the reduction is for each day you come late. Although I tried to always arrive to work before the clock-in time passes, one may not always be lucky so I also got mine reduced. I wasn't happy with it, but there was nothing I could do because it's been the company's standing rule before I joined them.

Encouragement, reward and punishment all work hand in foot and can help create a healthy environment for achieving optimal work performance.

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It's good to have you here, looking forward to engaging with you. Thank you.

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Still the #threadsaddict 😂

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