1001 Ways to Reward Employees [Paperback]

Bob Nelson (Author), Stephen Schudlich (Illustrator), Ken Blanchard (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 15, 1994

It's the million-plus-copy bestseller that every manager and employer needs, whether they supervise one employee or one thousand. Because what really motivates people to perform are thoughtful, personal gestures that signify real appreciation--and don't necessarily cost money.

A chock-full guide to rewards of every conceivable type for every conceivable situation, 1001 Ways to Reward Employees offers over 1000 innovative ideas beyond the expected raise or promotion. They range from a simple, unexpected "thank you" to Ford Motor Company's use of employees in commercials to programs such as Home Depot's Employee-of-the-Month Award--honorees receive $100 and a merit badge, and get their names engraved on a plaque.

In researching the book, author Bob Nelson interviewed supervisors at all types and sizes of businesses in all parts of the country, finding inventive and effective employee rewards in every sector. No matter how many people you manage, you will find lots of ideas that will work for you and your business.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Better than money: Praise and personal gestures motivate workers. Things that don't cost money are ironically the most effective. -- The Wall Street Journal

[Helps managers] take certain rewards and mold them into new management styles at their companies. -- The New York Times

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.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 275 pages
• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company; 1st edition (January 15, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156305339X
• ISBN-13: 978-1563053399
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #681,234 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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.