Baseball started its season last week to great enthusiasm. So what can we learn from the excitement fans feel this time of year?
On opening day everybody feels like they have a chance. Fans, coaches and players all believe that their goal of winning a championship is doable and that feeling of optimism is a powerful motivator.
What can program planners learn from this? Behavioral economics teaches us that people are more motivated to pursue achievements they feel are within their grasp. Organizations that leverage this human reality and present objectives in incremental hurdles get the most effort from their employees and salespeople. Conversely, companies that make goals too complicated, difficult or long term fail to capture the enthusiasm of their participants. They fail to get buy-in and their employees or salespeople don’t play ball. Breaking larger objectives into smaller, measurable milestones gives participants regular opportunities to experience progress and success. Each achievement builds confidence, reinforces positive behaviors, and creates momentum that encourages continued effort. Rather than becoming discouraged by a goal that seems distant or unattainable, employees remain engaged because they can clearly see the next step and understand how their actions contribute to the larger objective. Just as a baseball team focuses on winning one game at a time rather than the entire season, effective incentive and recognition programs keep participants motivated by celebrating incremental victories along the way.
The optimism of Opening Day can teach employee recognition and sales incentive planners a few things about excitement. When you put together your rules structure, consider the power that setting—and then resetting—goals can have. Make objectives attainable. This will keep your participants reaching for the next level and, in the context of baseball, it will keep your program from striking out. As employees accomplish one milestone after another, they remain engaged because they continue to experience progress rather than frustration. That steady rhythm of achievement helps sustain enthusiasm throughout the life of the program, creating a culture where participants stay focused, motivated, and eager to reach the next goal instead of losing interest before the season is over.