Everyone has had a bad hair day, but how about a bad tie, bad hat, or bad shoe day? More and more companies are putting together contests on the ugliest dressed. Another company sponsors an annual turkey bowling contest. Employees go out on the loading dock, take a frozen turkey, and try to knock down as many empty wine bottles as possible. This is not evidence of companies gone nuts but tactics used to ward off a serious business problem.
One of the biggest problems facing businesses today is how to motivate and engage workers. The other problem slapping them in the face is high turnover. Today's mobile employees are loyal only to themselves and jump ship for better benefits, higher pay, and greater opportunity.
Pay and benefits are important, but you have to do something different in order to attract and retain the best people. That something may equate to a fun, flexible workplace that gives them more freedom and responsibility. Wouldn't it be great if you enjoyed going to work?
Here are a few examples of team-building techniques that motivate employees:
Humor Corner Give employees one corner of a break room or other area to post cartoons, illustrations, and other items designed to relieve stress. At the end of each week, the staff can award a prize for the best submission.
The Talking Stick Try introducing the "talking stick" into your office. This idea originated from a Native American tradition. Each month a different person in the office receives the talking stick, which provides that person certain rights and privileges for the month. For example, the "owner" could provide fellow employees one hour a month administrative leave.
Employee Dollars At Phoenix Solutions Inc., employees award an "employee dollar" to fellow employees who do something special or exceed company expectations. Each month the employee with the most dollars gets movie tickets, dinner, and a plaque with their name as Employee of the Month.
Management by Fooling Around Herb Kelleher, the former CEO of Southwest Airlines, combined fun and hard work into something he calls "management by fooling around." At the nonconformist airline, everything—from the tickets and boarding passes to the casual dress and occasional costumes attendants wear? clearly demonstrates that something is different.
Gold Stars and Frogs At Wachovia Bank, each Monday morning they set milestones for the week with input from staff members. On Friday, employees receive a Gold Star and $2.00 (funny money) for each milestone met. Employees can also recognize their peers with a sticker of a frog, which is worth $1.00. Staff members display the gold stars and frogs on a white cardboard poster. At the end of each month, they hold a random drawing for a dinner ($50.00) and movies ($25.00).
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