The Re-Enforcement Model

It’s a new era for business. Yesterday’s merit plans don’t pay off. In today’s world, recognition and reward plans are the key to improving your bottom line. 

The simplified re-enforcement model below illustrates how business objectives get translated into individual or group responsibilities, the major components of employee motivation and, most importantly, whether or not the component is a "cost of doing business" i.e. compensation or if the component aids in driving "business results."

Re-Enforcement Model Chart

 The Capability Component: Reinforcing Employee Development
Organizations are increasingly looking to career or technical ladders for developing and rewarding their management teams, professional non-management employees, and rank and file workers. The objective is to develop individuals and align their skills with organizational needs.

 The Recognition Component: The Overlooked Opportunity
A significant number of organizations have poorly designed recognition plans for non-exempt workers or middle management in spite of the widely acknowledged cost effectiveness and ability to shape a high performance culture. The objective is to reinforce desired behavior and results after the fact in order to sustain and enhance that behavior or achievement.

The Incentive Component: A Growing Method to Improve Organizational Performance
Rewards incent employees within an organizational unit (e.g. company, division, department, team, work group) to improve performance based on a pre-announced formula. The objective is to engage and involve employees through behavior modification to improve and measure organizational and project results.