Picking the right incentives

Borrowing another story from the CMG Summit, the write-up in Chain Store Age talked about making sure the reward you select is what the employee wants.  In this case, Joe Wheeler from The Service Profit Chain and “The Science of Delight” talked about Prairie Store Pharmacy in MN.  They offered their pharmacists a trip to Hawaii, but they didn’t want it.  They simply wanted more access to their customers.

I am not sure you will get that same passion in all settings, but the point is critical.  If you are going to design a rewards program, make sure you are (a) rewarding the right behavior and (b) offering an incentive that will get people to stretch.