-Decide

on the budget. Insure there are adequate resources

available before starting the program. A program

involving sales personnel will be different and usually

costs more money.

-Set

goals. Establish quantifiable and qualitative goals that

can be measured. Try to keep it simple as possible. The

more complicated, the likely this effort will fail. The

goals need to be fair and reachable for the target group.

-Pick

the type of recognition or award. It is important to

select the correct award. The power and influence of the

award/recognition is minimized if the individual does not

care about receiving it. Spend time discussing with the

target group and select an award within the budget

framework. You may select several types of

awards/recognition and allow the winners to choose.

-Develop

a communication strategy. Most programs fail due to poor

communication. How will people know about the program?

Decide what form(s) of media to use such as a newsletter,

e-mail, and a brochure or in new employee orientation

materials? Decide how to remind people through the

lifecycle of the program.

-Implement

the program. The best programs are those that the

employees run themselves. On the other hand, management

directed programs usually take more energy and enthusiasm

to carry out the program. After a couple months, time

requirements are reduced. The target group will need

consistent and clear communication on the results and

measurement of the targeted behavior and performance.

-Create

a meaningful presentation strategy. The presentation

strategy is critical to the program's overall success.

The best planning can fail miserably if the presentation

strategy is poorly executed. Decide on either a formal or

informal presentation. Be creative and award recipients

with as much fanfare as possible. Involve top executives

in the presentation strategy. -Improve and change

the program. The implementation team's job is not over

until they evaluate the program. Did it achieve its

objectives and goals? Were the participants motivated to

change their behavior? All incentive programs have a

limited lifetime. Begin planning for the next program.

Free by

fax: If you would like a free report on how to create a

motivating work environment, please fax your name on your

letterhead or E-mail us with the words,

"Motivate" to

770-760-0581/[email protected].

Gregory P.

Smith, author of The New Leader, and How to Attract, Keep

and Motivate Your Workforce. He speaks at conferences,

leads seminars and helps organizations solve problems. He

leads an organization called Chart Your Course

International located in Conyers, Georgia. Phone him at

(770)860-9464 or send an email at [email protected].

More information and articles are available at

https://www.chartcourse.com.