Better Thinking: The Case Against Targets, Rewards, Incentives, Performance Appraisals and Ranking Workers by Tripp Babbitt
If you want people to do a better job, give them a better job to do
Interesting article questioning the value of targets, rewards, incentives etc. Worth thinking about. I've quoted the above as it stood out to me. If organisations stopped treating people like 'cogs' in the machine, and instead inspired them to learn and develop and then shared the tools and know-how to self-direct their performance and add value to the business in ways that are beyond their 'cog' role, the organisation would benefit.
The workforce would become better problem solvers, better innovators, understand the business better and perhaps most importantly understand how to align the business needs with their own personal needs, for a joint (and powerful) win:win.
Organisations, HR, L&D and individual employees need to think about this. It's naturally happening anyway, as Gen Y'ers particularly are driving their learning forwards through social networking (however not necessarily in a purposeful strategic direction). In my opinion, organisations need to embrace this ("the easiest way to ride a horse is in the direction it's going") and also teach their employees to create a powerful win:win.
