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374 SHARED REWARDS
• If a team has been assembled to respond to an immediate crisis, then
prompt team recognition should be given to the team members for pulling
the firm through the crisis.
• If the team has been assembled to re-engineer systems and practices toward
a goal of reducing costs, then it would be appropriate to design a team re-
ward based on the savings achieved by the team.
• If the team is involved in a profit-based venture, then it would be appropri-
ate to design a team reward that is based on achievement and preservation
of the planned profit.
• Be prepared to abandon some of the old reward protocols. In today’s profes-
sional environment, where leadership is being recognized on the basis of
knowledge, rather than position, the concept of rewards is also changing.
However, make such changes carefully so that the appearance that some-
thing is being taken away is avoided.
• Recognizing this changing environment suggests that we also take a fresh
look at some of the traditional views of human behavior in business. For in-
stance, Frederick Herzberg’s theories on motivators and satisfiers, in his
1966 book Work and the Nature of Man (World Publishing Company), sub-
mits that five areas: achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility,
and advancement constitute motivational factors. There were other items
that he grouped under the label of hygiene factors. These lower-level needs
had to be recognized, but were not considered incentives. The underlying
philosophy behind Herzberg’s findings of 35 years ago is probably even
more applicable in today’s environment, but needs to be re-examined in
light of the psychology of today’s professionals and the utilization of such
personnel in team and matrix configurations.
• For members of teams working to achieve project success, it would appear to
be logical to base much of the added rewards on how well project success was
actually achieved. This would further suggest that a survey of customer and
stakeholder satisfaction be taken both during and at the conclusion of the
project. (Frankly, such surveys should be executed to aid in achieving stake-
holder satisfaction, regardless of the impact on performance evaluation.)
Remember: the objectives in a shared rewards system are to stimulate im-
proved performance of individuals working on teams, and to maximize their con-
tribution to project success. Anything that works toward these goals, while fully
respecting the individual team member, should be considered.