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Reprint from Human Capital Magazine–
The Team
Element
by Buck Peavey
Designing a safety incentive program around
team participation can reap rewards for workers and employers.
Mr. Trent had it all figured out. He was my 7th grade English teacher,
and it was time for the school public speaking contest. As my teachers
had commented for years, I was one of the shyest kids they had ever
come across. Needless to say, I was not looking forward to the contest.
The teacher tried to sweeten the pie by introducing an incentive
program. The winning speaker from each grade would continue on to
the junior high championships, then that winner would speak in front
of the entire high school for the grand prize. The winner would
receive a plaque along with a free tall glass of Coke during lunch.
It would certainly be much “cooler” to drink Coke in front of everyone
instead of the milk we usually drank each day.
What was my take on all of this? I did not care about the plaque
and Coke. I just wanted to lose and get this all over with before
I got sick to my stomach!
Then Mr. Trent decided to add a new element to the incentive program:
He simply called it “the team element.” He announced, “You must
perform well, or now you will let your whole class down.” If a person
from our grade won it all, our entire class would enjoy an ice-cold
Coke during lunch for an entire week. Now I knew I had to get serious:
I did not want to let my class down.
The Motivator What is the most effective motivator to keep people
safe? The team element, as Mr. Trent taught me, has been the most
successful. The reason it works is simple. It is proven that people’s
personal friendships at work are most often even stronger than their
loyalty to their company.
In creating a top-performing incentive program, you must first make
sure all the basic factors are in place. A safety incentive program
should include the following elements:
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Award everyone who adheres to safety
policies, not just a few people. |
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Award on a weekly basis. |
| • |
Offer a selection of items that
people want, rather than what they need.
Merchandise works better than cash. |
| • |
Develop well-written, behavior-based
criteria for awarding prizes. |
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Award individuals as well as teams. |
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Promote the program. |
A Safety Incentive Case Study
After trying many different methods of incentives, GKN Sinter Metals
Inc., Auburn Hills, Mich., tried the team element. “We were at a
point where we needed an extra push,” said Gary Giguere, the company’s
regional loss prevention manager. He chose an incentive program
that is based on a gamecard. The weekly award system uses points
that are collected by the employees and later redeemed toward merchandise
items in a catalog. The bottom half of the card reveals one of the
seven letters of the word “jackpot.” As employees exhibit safe behaviors,
they earn a new card each week with a new letter. When the entire
word is spelled out, the employee is entered into a drawing for
a chance to win $10,000. If they have duplicate letters, employees
can trade gamecards with co-workers. Because employees keep track
of their gamecards, the program is very easy to administer.
Incorporating Team Spirit
GKN designed weekly criteria for handing out the gamecards. Initially,
like many programs, the program rewarded employees for individual
safety behavior. Later, Giguere added the team element. Gamecards
are awarded to each employee meeting the weekly safety standards,
which include not having a lost-time accident. When the entire team
is infraction and accident-free, each member receives a card.
Emphasizing Safety Behavior
To ensure that the program did not discourage employees from reporting
accidents or injuries, Gigure made sure that prevention behavior
was a part of the mix. The safety committee draws random names everyday,
and then verifies that those employees are wearing their personal
protective equipment. If they are, bonus cards are awarded. Taking
the behavioral emphasis even further, the program is structured
so that employees and teams can earn up to five cards for reporting
a near-miss or safety hazard.
Program Promotion
To top it all off, GKN promotes the program with intensity. The
company regularly produces a four-color newsletter to promote the
program. The newsletter not only promotes the individual benefits
of safety, but it also hypes the team efforts. The newsletter includes
pictures of the participants winning merchandise prizes, as well
as trading cards. Having all of the right safety incentive components
in place made an impact at GKN. “Having the right balance of individual
and team rewards caused the employees to become more involved and
allowed them to really get excited about the program,” Giguere stated.
He also commented that the employees “trade cards, pool cards, and
even raffle them off… the excitement level is increasing.”
The bottom line benefit was controlling the number of accidents.
After achieving five months without a lost-time accident, Giguere
was confident in his decision.
Peavey Performance Systems has found that an average accident reduction
of more than 61% can occur with the proper individual and team
rewarding structure.
Conclusion
Before designing an incentive campaign, make sure the right components
are in place. Then, add a healthy, fun, team element to get employees’
attention. Mr. Trent’s team element got my attention. I went on
to win the contest, and I later learned the reward I received went
much deeper than the plaque and the Coke. Your employees who remain
safe on the job will realize the same someday. Thanks, Mr. Trent
— I’m not shy anymore.
Buck Peavey is President and CEO of Peavey Performance
Systems.
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