What a concept!
The first thing to note about this story is that it didn’t happen in America, which leads the world in CEO compensation.
In spite of the horrendous economic reality most workers have faced since our economy crashed in 2007, most top executives in the United States got huge raises last year.
The average paycheck for CEOs at 200 big companies in the US in 2010 was $10.8 million — a 23% gain from 2009.*
In America, we reward our business leaders when they fire tens of thousands of their own workers, and ship jobs off to China and Pakistan.
In fact, if they’re clever enough to cut our pay and still force us to do more work, while shielding huge profits made overseas, meaning their companies pay less tax than you and I, they get gigantic bonuses.
Even when our country is going broke, and we say we don’t have enough to care for old, sick people, or experimental treatments which might save the lives of childhood cancer victims.
I raise this only to make you certain that I realize THIS can probably never happen in our land…
Still, there is much to be learned about the psychology of compensation and reward if anyone’s motivated to try.
- Think gifts, rather than bonuses. A bonus is (supposedly) earned, a gift is given freely.
- Think public recognition that is meaningful to the recipient, not merely a parking slot or a plaque on the wall, but something that reminds everyone every day of their achievement.
- Think gratitude and appreciation for what your employees have helped you achieve, rather than only about how you can add to your 401K account.
“The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them; that’s the essency of inhumanity.” ~ George Bernard Shaw
*NY TIMES