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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.
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