The Use of Incentives

A business that doesn’t offer incentive plans to employees is out of touch.
“Incentive” is just a fancy word for bribe.
Studies have shown that incentives motivate employees.
Studies have shown that incentives de-motivate employees.
Businesses must have reward opportunities beyond just a paycheck.
Incentive plans reward the wrong kind of attitude.
It is important that I appreciate the efforts of my direct reports.
I’m the boss and they’re my subordinates – It’s simply expected they do their jobs.
I give my dog treats if he does what I ask – His compliance is appreciated.
I shouldn’t have to give my dog rewards – His compliance is expected.

The debate over the use of incentives continues, not just in the world of corporate but also in the world of dog training.  It will likely continue after the cows come home and long after I have departed this world, and it will not be resolved in this humble blog post.  However, I thought it timely to share my thoughts on the matter while I’m feeling highly unmotivated to do much else.  (The sun is shining, the birds are singing and the breeze is breezing.)  It’s not that incentives don’t work at all, or that they work all the time.  An all-or-nothing mentality blinds us from instances when incentives do work, and when they do not. Here are some observations I’ve made while herding cats in the corporate space (a.k.a. people) and while training dogs:

Incentives and rewards…
1) work well to secure clear and specific behaviors
2) encourage adoption of new things (processes, concepts, actions)
3) create initial momentum
4) foster new habits
5) are only as valuable as the dog (or person) deems them to be

With the added win-win component of incentive plans, there has been a favorable impact on the workplace as well as on the dog training experience.  Rewards help to introduce the new and make such situations less overwhelming.  They can get us over the first few humps in a long journey.  Once initial progress is made, the momentum can be ridden to keep moving forward.  So where can things go wrong?

Attempting to accomplish the vague can easily cause a dog (or person) to give up.  Imagine that your company has been giving out bonuses for stellar work and recently you were assigned to lead a highly visible project.  You spend long nights and weekends to achieve greatness, but with each accomplishment comes “Well, actually, that’s not what I’m looking for” from your manager.  Sooner rather than later, you’ll stop trying.  It won’t matter if the bonus is 5,000% of pay.  Be clear when training your dog a new behavior.  It may seem obvious what you’re asking for, but that’s because you know what you’re asking for.  Break your training down into baby steps. Step 1 could involve rewarding your dog just for looking at a light switch that she will ultimately learn to use.  Another way that things can go sideways is creating a rewards plan filled with goodies that, if you were a dog, you would drool over.

But you are not a dog.  Moreover, you are not your dog.

Take the time to observe what your dog loves.  Chances are she doesn’t just like food.  People typically don’t like just one thing and most businesses offer different types of incentives.  Cash bonus or raise (treats), extra vacation days (dog walks), gym memberships (playing fetch), and company trinkets (toys).

There is an unavoidable aspect to incentives and rewards worth mentioning.  They…

6) do not replace or augment intrinsic work ethic or drives

Some people are highly motivated, results oriented, and wholly committed to their craft, possibly toeing the line between passion and obsession.  I would venture to say that the number of such individuals is far greater than the number of CEOs in the world, which is to say they don’t have prestigious titles, stock options worth millions or billions, and have never been (and never will be) knighted by the Queen.

They are simply driven by their own relentless selves.

Payment, regardless of form, can only do so much to encourage good work and responsiveness.  We must also consider what the dog (or person) brings to the table.  Of the entire dog population on this earth, a teeny-weeny-fraction would successfully complete service dog training.  Conditions for graduating are not restricted to only the dog’s technical skills.  The dog’s temperament and disposition are also heavily weighted.

Using rewards too often and in too much quantity will teach the dog to expect payment every time – The long term prognosis is not as reliable.  Once your dog understands what you want, don’t forget to reduce the frequency of the reward.  If your goal is to completely ween off of treats, then think of social rewards to give rather than turning off the faucet completely.  Be careful not to fall into the mindset that, “My dog should just do it by now.  We’ve trained on this before.  There’s no excuse for her to refuse just because I stopped acknowledging her.”  Tell that to a high tech employee and you’ll have a brand new hole in your workforce count.

Over the long run, showing appreciation for a job well done can have a more sustained effect than only paying with cold hard cash or juicy bones.  Be sure your praise is sincere each time.

Your dog knows when you are happy.