Category Archives: General

Rewards and incentives for nine year olds

Think you can offer incentives or rewards long after the fact and it won’t affect the results? Here’s a story I’ve been watching closely that disputes the idea that timing isn’t a major factor in decision making (even for nine year olds).

My wife is a teacher (and a darn good one). One of the things she has done in her classroom is to offer special lunches to students who hit their reading goals. Those special lunches involve me bringing them something from Chick-Fil-A (a Southern delicacy!) on the Friday immediately after they reach their goal.

But it wasn’t always that way.

For the first half of the school year, the agreement was that if the students read their goal amount, then I would bring food at the end of the grading period. That could take up to nine weeks (if the kid’s a fast reader), and that’s like infinity in a child’s eyes. While she had a few kids read their books, most of them did not.

A new, better way

Then, this half of the school year, we’ve done it differently. Instead of waiting until the grading period is over (up to nine weeks), she gives them the reward less than seven days after they meet their goals. This has had a few effects on the process.

  1. It lets the other kids (in the midst of their own progress) see the tangible reward and encourages them to reach their own goals.
  2. It keeps the process high on everyone’s radar by making a reference every week or so.
  3. The kids who reach their goals and get rewarded? There is a 100% goal completion for kids who met their rewards in previous sessions (in other words, they are repeaters).
  4. There are significantly more students who reach their goal amounts on this new system (more than twice as many, I’d say).

I love the process of continuous improvement and how my wife can see something like this changing how the students are engaged in their reading program. Next year she can tweak it a little more and see if those numbers get even higher, but it’s nice to start off with something you know that works.

What it means for you

Thinking about offering rewards or incentives to your workforce? Make sure you don’t ignore the time element. It can help (or hurt) you in more ways than you might imagine.

SHRM Blog Carnival-Leadership Style

My friend Stephen Harrison from the HR Florida state council is hosting this week’s SHRM Blog Carnival on leadership and engagement. He is an amazing resource and was the first person I talked to before starting the RocketHR blog for NASHRM, because he already had established a popular blog for his own local chapter in Florida.

The SHRM Blog Carnival is a way for the volunteer bloggers writing for SHRM chapters and state councils to share content, build connections, and increase the chapters’ social media footprint.

Check out previous editions of the SHRM Blog Carnival at the links below. Please click through and read some of the posts to support the other volunteers around the country!

Questions to Ask During an Investigation

Recently I attended a NASHRM workshop session on questions to ask during an investigation. One of the points the speaker hammered home was the importance of asking open-ended questions to get the most information out of the people you have to interview. She referenced this Saturday Night Live skit as a good reminder how not to look at questions to ask during an investigation.

I’ve seen people who are excellent at asking questions to steer the conversation where they want it to go. I’ve seen others tank and blow up an investigation with poorly constructed questions. It really is a skill you should cultivate as an HR pro!

Questions to ask during an investigation

Trying to find out who is telling the truth? Check out this free guide detailing signs that a person is lying.

Doesn’t everyone see this way?

When I was ten my baseball career went to heck. It was like someone threw a switch between my previously awesome self and my new terrible self.

I couldn’t hit. My throws were off. Neither I, my parents, nor my coach could figure out what the issue was.

Then I found out I needed glasses.

It was like a miracle to be able to see clearly again. When people ask me why I didn’t get glasses sooner I reply that at the time I thought everyone saw that way.

That’s a powerful message in more than one way, so I’ll say it again. I thought everyone saw the same way I did.

Before you assume something about a person, take a moment to reflect. Maybe you see things one way and just can’t understand why someone else doesn’t see as “clearly” as you.

Backgrounds, culture, and other factors can dramatically influence how someone behaves or responds to situations. Be conscious of that. You will be a better leader, employee, and friend for it.

This post isn’t here to make you feel like you’ve done something wrong. I need the reminder just as much as anyone else that we’re all different and that can be a powerful tool if we use it well.