Motivation

I've learned that motivating a group over a long period of time takes a variety of actions.

In the workplace, some people will be motivated by internal competition while others pledge that "we're all in this together" and the only competition is outside of our company. Sellers tend to fall into the prior group while shipping and receiving personnel tend to fall into that latter.

Similarly, some people prefer group recognition, while others prefer individual recognition. Some prefer a very valuable prize (gift card or vacation) for a single recipient, while others prefer a nominal prize for all (pizza party). Some people appreciate a logo'd apparel item while others don't want to be a walking advertisement for the company.

The solution is to try a variety of actions over a period of time. That increases the chances of motivating everyone. It also prevents recognition activities from fading into entitlements.

By the way, a simple and sincere "Thank you" is still appreciated by everyone.