I even try?” The result is incentive contests that lavish rewards
on those who already have the motivation and skills to perform
well, but let off the hook—or even demotivate—those in the
middle and at the bottom that really need motivation, tools or
simply a kick in the pants. Uneven results, at best.
Another problem with winner-take-all, results-focused
incentive contests is they deliver only temporary wins. Often,
I’ve seen measured results (e.g., check average, dessert or
beverage sales, loyalty enrollments, etc.) soar during a contest
period when there was a plum prize at stake, only to see them
drop right back down after the reward was given. Sometimes,
they’ve even dipped below their previous levels due to fatigue
of the team after the competition.
The trick to designing incentive
contests that deliver more consistent, long-lasting results is not to
focus solely on traditional, measurable results. In fact, the purpose of
any incentive program should not
just be to achieve a static goal like
hitting a certain number of dessert
sales or increased check average, but
to change the behavior and enhance
the skill sets of every member of the
team. By changing behaviors, you will
naturally and necessarily improve
results. In addition, those results will
stay changed, because you’ve instilled
specific tactics and behaviors that
become part of the daily, shift-by-shift
actions that improve the performance
of the team in general. Here are a
couple of ideas on how to do it:
1. Never set a goal or incentivize
an end result without pairing
it with detailed and ongoing
training on how to make it
happen.
to compete, you are missing a tremendous opportunity. You
are also creating spotty results and actually de-incentivizing
the part of your staff that most needs it. Remember, incentives are not just prizes for doing a good job, they are a tool for
improving those who don’t.
2. Reward behaviors, not just results.
It’s one thing to reward the person who sells the most. It is
another—more sustainable— thing to reward the actions that
cause that result. For example, let’s say the goal is to increase
regular customers in your restaurant. The best way to design
an incentive contest that increases
regulars is to encourage behaviors that
connect guests to your restaurant.
We know that one of the most
effective drivers of loyalty is when
guests know a manager. To attain that
result, incentivize behaviors that make
it happen. On a given shift, give a prize
(e.g., gift card, car wash, iTunes credit,
phone card, cash, side work skip, whatever) to the server who introduces the
Manger on Duty (MOD) to the greatest
number of people in their section.
Better yet, make it more specific to
the type of guests you want to grow!
Give a prize for the team member who
introduces the MOD to the guest from
farthest away (builds hotel and convention business), the most guests from
the office complex across the street
(lunch business), the closest guest
(neighborhood business), the most
children (we all know who decides
where the family eats, right?), etc.
The great news is you are no
longer just running a“contest,” you are
changing behaviors. In order for a team
member to introduce the manager to a
guest, they must have connected and
found some information first (e.g., Where are you from? Where
do you guys work? What’s your name?). You are incentivizing
the behavior of genuinely connecting with guests on a personal
level and tying them to your business. That behavior will
continue to pay dividends to your team via increased tips and to
your business via loyal regulars forever.
Bottom line: if you focus solely on results, you won’t
change behavior, but if you focus on behaviors, you will attain
long-term results. S
"You can ' t
win games by
watching the
scoreboard
... you have
to focus on
influencing
the action on
the field."
17
Tim Kirkland is the author of the best-selling book The Renegade Server. His new restaurant leadership program, COACH!,
teaches restaurant managers to build, develop and retain
superior teams and performance. He can be reached at
[email protected].
SCORE | 2014 Iss Ք