Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
•.
Bonds,.gold,.or.silver;.they.are.usually.kept.and.thus.a.constant.reminder
•.
Items.with.the.company.logo.or.worker's.name
•.
Special.commemorative.items.or.pins
•.
Tangible.items.(products)
•.
One.of.a.kind.or.limited.edition.items.(belt.buckles,.knives,.etc.)
Reinforcing.the.desired.behavior.is.motivational..Any.merit.reward.that.increases.
the.likelihood.of.a.person.repeating.the.desired.behavior.is.valuable..Be.sure.you.use.
reinforcement. (i.e.,. reward. or. commendation);. it. is. always. something. perceived. as.
positive,.not.negative.
The.threat.of.something.happening.to.us.is.neither.a.positive.nor.negative.reinforcer..
It.is.only.after.something.has.actually.occurred.that,.then.and.only.then,.it.becomes.
positive.or.negative.(such.as.an.occupational.injury.or.illnesses)..Therefore,.how.do.we.
motivate.someone.to.respond.to.a.desired.behavior.when.there.is.no.reinforcing.experi-
ence.to.help.motivate.them?.To.accomplish.this,.we.must.state.the.reason.and.impor-
tance.of.the.request.and.compliment.the.person.when.they.give.the.proper.response.
To.address.a.unique.issue.or.a.speciic.problem,.the.use.of.special.emphasis.pro-
grams.is.an.appropriate.motivational.tool..These.programs.deine.a.problem.or.issue,.
use. symbolism. (drawings. or. slogans). to. elicit. or. trigger. an. appropriate. response,.
indicate.a.true.interest.in.the.special.area.of.emphasis,.and.use.a.structured.approach.
to.address.the.special.issue..It.is.used.to.cause.focused.attention.on.a.speciic.area..
An.example.would.be.a.special.emphasis.program.on.back.injury.prevention.
Some.organizations.try.to.use.contests.as.motivational.tools.but,.generally,.they.
are. found. unsatisfactory.. In. many. instances,. too. many. negative. response. factors.
come.into.play..Contests.are.a.type.of.competition.and.not.everyone.likes.to.com-
pete..Many.times.there.is.only.one.winner.in.the.contest.and.therefore.many.receive.
no.type.of.reward.even.though.they.have.worked.very.hard.and.to.the.best.of.their.
ability..This.can.affect.an.individual's.status.and,.at.times,.even.their.morale..If.you.
do.decide.that.a.contest.is.good.for.your.particular.situation,.design.the.contest.so.
that.it.will.involve.all.individuals,.foster.status.and.pride,.involve.group.competition,.
and.involve.management..Be.sure.that.the.same.individual.does.not.win.all.the.time;.
this.can.be.very.discouraging.to.the.other.participants..If.varied.skill.levels.exist,.
use.handicaps..Make.sure.winning.and.losing.are.distributed.and.give.prizes.to.irst-,.
second-,.and.third-place.winners.
Gimmicks. and. gadgets. used. as. motivational. tools. are. novel. or. unconventional.
ideas,.gifts,.or.devices.that.call.attention.to.a.desired.response.and.maintain.motiva-
tion.in.an.unusual.manner..Some.examples.are
.
1.. Utilizing.other.gadgets.such.as.knives,.belt.buckles,.caps,.pens,.key.chains,.
patches,.rings,.tee.shirts,.or.trophies
.
2.. Special.chits.for.lunch.or.free.coffee.for.wearing.safety.glasses
.
3.. Having.a.weight.lifter.demonstrate.proper.lifting
Many.of.the.motivation.tools.presented.here.are.short-term.motivators.and.should.
only.be.used.to.supplement.an.existing.comprehensive.program..They.should.not.be.
the.entire.program.
