Page 21 - MiniGame™ Toolkit

MINIGAMES™ MINIGAMES™

Getting the Most Bang Out of Your MiniGames with A memorable reward is one that anchors the memory of the accomplishment. It may be some-
thing tangible; something to hold on to, a reminder of the achievement and the fact that others
Outstanding Rewards recognized it, a real “trophy”.

Or it may be one that generates good feelings that can be remembered weeks, months or even
years after the goal was achieved and the reward received. The opportunity to celebrate with
teammates is an example of the “feel good” factor. When handled correctly, the good feelings cre-

CHOOSE ated can far surpass the monetary value of the reward.

REWARDS The Reward Should Reflect Effort and Performance

THAT INSPIRE
The reward should be on a par with the effort it took to win. If the changes made were relatively
PERFORMANCE small, the reward should be as well, regardless of the financial impact of the change. The same is
true for the opposite scenario— large change, large reward. In either situation, the reward should
be a reflection of the winning performance.

One component that can make or break the success of your MiniGames is the strength of your re- Think Twice About Cash Rewards
ward system. Here are the most essential elements of choosing the best rewards to motivate your
teams for memorable and sustainable results. Ask anybody what they want as a reward, and what do you think they’ll say? Gimme cash. Every
time, guaranteed.
First of all, when deciding on rewards, think low on dollars and high on fun. Rewards should be
motivating and memorable. They should also reflect the effort and quality of the team’s perfor- But while cash is understood by everyone and easy to administer, it is not a memorable
mance. Plus, you’ll be amazed at how little your people will ask for. Here’s an example of how you reward. It has no trophy value. Cash is often used to pay bills and is then quickly forgotten. Cash
might work through reward planning with your team: also tends to become an “expected” reward and therefore does little to motivate any change in
behavior…and quickly becomes an entitlement. Don’t set this precedent.
Say you end up with a pool that will provide everyone on the team $100 in rewards for this Min-
iGame. How would you split that up between a small, a medium and a large reward? One per- Pairing cash with a tangible reward can make it more meaningful and memorable. However,
mutation would be Small = $10; Medium = $20; Large = $70. Now you have a budget for the first when deciding on MiniGame™ rewards, consider using cash as a last resort. These days gift cards
30 days of your MiniGame™, the second 30 days and the final 30 days, culminating in the largest are popular, yet are a cash equivalent. If you do find yourself giving gift cards, require each team
reward. member to share with the group what they bought!
“But now what do I do?” Now you go back to our mantra: People support what they help cre-
ate. Ask them what they want!

If they themed their MiniGame around their favorite sports team, reward 1 could be a t-shirt em-
blazoned with their beloved theme. Reward 2 could be a ball cap and reward 3 a group celebra-
tion at the local AAA park on the club level. Something they may never do on their own, but will
never forget.

What Makes a Motivating and Memorable Reward?

Motivating rewards are ones that inspire performance. To truly motivate, you must provide a
reward that the players genuinely value. It’s not so much about how much it costs as what it is.
Sometimes “bragging rights” alone will inspire performance.

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