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Subject:Re: Motivating/awarding co-workers for edits... From:Rose Wilcox <RWILC -at- FAST -dot- DOT -dot- STATE -dot- AZ -dot- US> Date:Wed, 28 Jun 1995 14:08:00 PDT
Laurie wrote:
>I recently tried before and after incentives that I gathered from this
list:
>I attached a lollipop (I used blow pops and tootsie roll pops) to each
>doc for each reviewer. To get the reviews back (at all, as well as
quickly)
>I made available donuts to everyone who gave me the review by a specific
date.
>Food is a great incentive to almost anyone!
Okay, food is good. I have used it on occasion myself. But I just want to
remind you that some folks are dieting, some are diabetics, some have
hypoglycemia or Candida Albicans, or other diseases that preclude the eating
of sweets. If you sent me a lollipop, I would want to strangle you! Okay,
on some days I'd only be mildly perturbed and on other days, I would be
murderous. So check out your audience first!
Other good ideas for motivation:
1) Public thanks as in e-mails and at meetings.
2) Letters to bosses for inclusion in personnel files for those particularly
good reviewers.
3) Sometimes, but not all of the times, signoff sheets help reviewers take
their jobs seriously. If you have to sign off on a document, you check it
more carefully.
4) Going to individuals and complimenting them when they make a "good
catch".
5) Sharing credit with everyone on the team.
6) Any of the many things we can do to help each other feel like part of a
team, rather than individuals scrabbling away in our little cubicles,
waiting for retirement....
Although I have used food at times, I like to keep the motivations on a
professional level. Basically, management needs to back the pubs department
about reviews being important. We need to educate management and our fellow
professionals about the importance of reviews. It helps if you work on
building relationships with your reviewers, and I admit, I need some work in
this area. It helps to go talk to folks about the weather and their
families sometimes. Treat people like people, treat people like they are as
important a part of the work as you are, treat people the way you like to be
treated.
I think I've been reading that "How Would Confucious Ask for Raise" too
much! :-D
Rose A. Wilcox
rwilc -at- fast -dot- dot -dot- state -dot- az -dot- us
ncrowe -at- primenet -dot- com
"It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no man can
sincerely try to help another without helping himself."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
