1001 Ways to Reward Employees [Paperback]

Bob Nelson Ph.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 13, 2005

Why is 1001 Ways to Reward Employees, with over 1.4 million copies in print, such an extraordinary bestseller? Because a little over ten years ago Bob Nelson took the seeds of an idea and turned it into something indispensable for business. The idea? That it’s not a raise that motivates an employee, and it’s not a promotion—what really sparks a person to perform are those intangible, unexpected gestures that signify real appreciation for a job well done.

Now, after having worked with thousands of organizations in the years since 11001 Ways to Reward. . . was first published, Bob Nelson presents a second edition packed with hundreds of new ideas and examples of how companies are using rewards and recognitions to boost productivity and keep their valued employees happy. Airplane mechanics are rewarded with balloons and pinwheels. Another manager calls his employees’ mothers and thanks them for raising such industrious children. There are ideas from the offbeat (The Margarita Award) to the company-wide (a quiet room) to the embarrassingly simple (a hand-written thank you note) to the wacky (the Laugh-a-Day challenge) to the formal (a two-week promotion to special assistant to the president). Each section includes no-cost rewards and low-cost rewards, both public and private, making this new edition an indispensable resource for making the person/achievement/reward equation work.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The most interesting and inventive business book on the market today . . .a publishing phenomenon.”
—Training magazine (Training magazine )

“Welcome to Bob’s World: A place of above-average managers and workers, all committed to personal excellence, good will and, of course, company profits. [This book] details how a little praise goes a long way.”
—The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Inquirer )

“There’s a difference between having someone show up for work and bringing out the best thinking and initiative in each person. To do that requires treating employees more as partners, not as subordinates. Being nice isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s also the economical thing to do.”
—Seattle Post-Intelligencer (Seattle Post-Intelligencer )

From the Publisher

Empowerment. Self-Directed Teams. Continuos Improvement. Achievement Awards. Case Studies. It would be impossible to do justice to the enormous wealth of ideas that Bob Nelson, in his remarkable 1001 WAYS series, has elucidated for both employers and employees. This bestselling series points to a new way of looking at employee-employer relations, offering practical advice and evidence along side indispensable and clear business theory. Also in the series: 1001 WAYS TO ENERGIZE EMPLOYEES, a practical handbook chock full of ideas for increasing employee involvement and enthusiasm; 1001 WAYS EMPLOYEES CAN TAKE INITIATIVE, turning its voice towards the ambitious employee who wants to develop self-leadership, set goals, and build a team; and the 365 WAYS TO MANAGE BETTER Page-a-Day Perpetual Calendar, with daily advice for the consciencious manager. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company; 2nd edition (June 13, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761136819
• ISBN-13: 978-0761136811
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,999 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #34 in Books > Business & Investing > Industries & Professions > Human Resources & Personnel Management

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

167 of 168 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reward yourself- buy this book., February 18, 2008

By 

Phil - See all my reviews

This review is from: 1001 Ways to Reward Employees (Paperback)

This book is great and works under the premise that you get the best effort out of people, not by lighting a fire under them, but by building a fire within them.

In short, its simply a collection of ways to reward employees for doing a good job. It is divided into 6 sections (day to day rewards, intangible rewards, tangible rewards..) so there's definitely a boatload of reward ideas to fit just about any work situation. Examples from companies across the United States make this a fun read as well. Also good for any HR department- The Sixty-Second Motivator.

113 of 118 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Employee Rewarding Ideas for Every Budget, October 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: 1001 Ways to Reward Employees (Paperback)

BOOK REVIEW 1001 WAYS TO REWARD EMPLOYEES by Bob Nelson Workman Publishing Company, NY, NY Whether you manage a department, oversee a division, lead a company, or run a family business with just one employee, there is an essential principle to follow that is too often overlooked: What most motivates the people who work for you is recognition. The problem for too many of us, however, is that we don't have "employee recognition" as a line item in our budgets. In response to that all-too-common problem, Bob Nelson, author of 1001 Ways To Reward Employees, polled the American business community asking for low-cost ideas, proven strategies, achievement awards, contests, time off, case studies, and praise ideas. And the business community came through for him-and for us. This paperback has 225 pages of great ideas that leaders in the business community use to reward their hard-working employees-from keeping a "treasure chest" brimming with gifts so supervisors can reward employees on the spot (Chevron) to cab fare for workers who have to stay late (Time, Inc.) to pocket protectors, magnetic calendars and notepads imprinted with the slogan "Got an idea? Write it down!" to encourage employee participation in a suggestion program (John Deere). Whether you have a large recognition budget, a small budget, or no budget at all, you will find informal and formal ideas, expensive and cost-free ideas-something that will fit your need to let employees know how much you appreciate their efforts. Ken Blanchard, who wrote the forward, noted, "With 1001 Ways to Reward Employees, praising, recognizing and rewarding employees just became a little easier. You can now provide the rewards and recognition that people in your life so richly deserve...This is one book that should be on every manager's desk!" I have taught first-time manager classes over the past five years, and this is one of the concepts and tools our new managers appreciate the most. I've used many of the ideas myself. I highly recommend it!

69 of 74 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lot's of ideas, but be wary of the focus, December 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: 1001 Ways to Reward Employees (Paperback)

As the title implies, the book contains a large number of ideas. Some will work in some organizations, while others might work elsewhere. As often happens when one tries to generate ideas in abundance, not all will be useful. But being able to puruse the overall landscape of opportunity has been helpful.

My concern, however, is the focus that this book places on recognition, as opposed to results. For a deeper treatment of human performance in the workplace, I suggest people also read RESPONSIBLE MANAGERS GET RESULTS: HOW THE BEST FIND SOLUTIONS, NOT EXCUSES, by Gerald Faust and co-authors. This provides a balance to the overall perspective of the leader. Because after all, the main purpose for rewarding employees is to achieve responsible performance that leads to organizational, bottom-line results.