Meeting Incentives That Give Back
Meeting incentives are generally designed to motivate participants to perform in certain ways. For example, a weekly sales meeting where the only shaded parking spot in the entire lot is given to the salesperson with the greatest sales could be considered a great incentive. Unfortunately, companies spend less time thinking of creative ways of tapping their meeting-powered resources. After all, what is a meeting of the minds worth when most of the minds are just in listening mode?
Here are some ideas:
- Allow operational problems to be brought up at meetings – Does the staff of accounts receivable still have to use the laser printer at reception because the budget does not allow for a new $1200 purchase right now? Bring it up, and perhaps one of the employees might have seen a solution or at least a stopgap measure. If you do not ask, then the answer is always a no. Ask, and conditions may improve.
- Incentives for creative problem solving – If a janitor brings up a great way to convert more clients that actually works, then he or she should get a little bonus and a positive mention in the meeting. If Bob Jones from HR noted that there was a sale on refurbished office laser jets online (to solve the previous problem), then give the man his kudos and a slice of the overhead saved.
- Give positive reputations to employees – Giving people a reputation to live up to often helps them live up to it, even if the reputation is initially undeserved. Calling Samantha from sales Dr. Closethatsale in meetings might inspire her to actually close more sales so she can feel as if she earned that title.
