John Stanko

"Now the Israelites had been saying, 'Do you see how this man keeps coming out? He comes out to defy Israel. The king will give great wealth to the man who kills him. He will also give him his daughter in marriage and will exempt his family from taxes in Israel'" - 1 Samuel 17:25.

Goliath and his comrades had been harassing the people of God, so the king offered a rich reward for anyone who would successfully conquer him. Even though the reward was lucrative, no one took the king up on his offer except David. David was tantalized by the reward but ultimately brought Goliath down because the giant had taunted God's name and people. The point is that the reward for achieving this corporate goal was not enough until the reward was coupled with a personal value that stimulated David to action. Leaders often struggle to find the right incentive plan, which must communicate the company's priorities but also resonate with the worker's personal needs and wants. Until that happens, incentive plans are often ineffective and meaningless.

LEADERSHIP STEP: Your Step today is to examine the effectiveness of your incentive plans for your team members. Are the incentives truly working or are do employees expect the reward regardless of performance? Do your incentives accurately represent and support what is most important to achieve? Are your company goals clear enough for people so they can understand how their activities fit into the overall work plan? What adjustments do you need to make?