Thanks for sharing Derek. Was looking at your discussion from the point of changing people's perceptions from "feeling stretched" to "feeling challenged and rewarded".
I'm working with Dittman Incentive Marketing (http://www.dittmanincentives.com), and they have seen an increase in incentive, recognition, and rewards programs over the past year in order to motivate employees to greater performance.
Companies are returning to group travel for winning sales teams, and enterprise-wide solutions allow employees to be rewarded for living brand values and achieving productivity and other goals.
What's nice is the perpetual cycle of achievement ties rewards to goals. In times of economic downturn, employees like to choose event tickets, dinner gift cards, and merchandise 'gifts' to supplement their everyday lives when salary increases are not keeping pace with cost of living increases.
Dittman uses enterprise-level SaaS (http://dittmantotalpro.com) to track behaviors and performance as a way of demonstrating success and return on investment. Companies know very well what a 10% increase in productivity means to the bottom line.
Hopefully, there is no finish line in business. Ideally, it's a self-perpetuating engine that supports employees, customers, and society. There's no doubt that the recession took a toll on morale and energy, but the truth is, it's a mindset. Dittman Incentive Marketing helps companies find meaningful ways to recognize, reward, and appreciate the hard work of people for a more positive mindset that has lasting value. Those campaigns are incremental "finish lines" strategically designed to drive performance, engagement, and participation.
