Phil's anxiety crept inward. "Let's go ahead and get started. I'd like to try a new motivation plan that rewards increased performance. For each project that you finish on time you'll be rewarded with your choice of items from this catalog. If you take a look through here I think you'll see that these are not insignificant items. This program will be in effect for the remainder of the year for you two. That gives you about nine months to earn some really decent prizes. With several projects on tap I figure you've got quite a few opportunities to score some good stuff."
Having gotten the words out, Phil relaxed a bit and leaned back in his seat, "So what do you think?"
Andy could hardly contain his excitement, "Cool, this is awesome. I sure could use some of this stuff. I mean, I've always wanted a real Rolex." It was clear that Brad was not as excited about the new program. "Yeah, I can see that it would be nice to get some of this stuff," he drawled. "I'm game for it."
"OK, we'll give it a go, then," Phil interjected.
By the time Andy and Brad rounded the corner on the first block of offices Brad could no longer contain himself. "Can you believe he's treating us like a bunch of little school kids? I don't get it. I don't want some stupid flippin' fancy cappuccino machine, and screw the fancy watches!" Andy was right on his heels, his arms outstretched toward Brad as their pace picked up. "Hey, we're getting free stuff, what's there not to like? We're going to do the work anyway! I just look at it as free stuff. I can't believe they're just giving us this stuff for doing our jobs!"
Brad screeched to a halt, spun on his heels and pointed directly at Andy, "Is that all you care about, getting stuff? Being rewarded like a little kid? Well, I don't like it. I just want us all to get paid for doing a good job and to feel good, to feel satisfied for having done the job well. These 'incentive programs' are a bunch of crap. It feels so confining." His voice rising, "This is just stupid!"
By the time Andy could form a response Brad was another four offices down the hall. He didn't understand how Brad could be so stupid. The guy was brilliant when it came to churning out projects, but for some reason this incentive idea seemed very foreign to him.
TYPES OF MOTIVATION
How could an incentive program elicit such emotionally charged and polar opposite responses? This is what happens when we take a "one size fits all" approach to motivation.
Psychologists have found that people are generally motivated in one of three ways: