Extreme motivation

I also asked some of the professionals I interviewed for any ˜war' stories concerning what I termed, ˜extreme examples of employee motivation.' Wherever you go in the world of business you will always find the sublime, closely followed by the downright ridiculous.

Off with his head!

Ann Chivers of the Housing Corporation in London recalled this bizarre practice. ˜Annually firing the bottom 10 per cent of performers, without regard to coaching, development or examining recruitment and selection processes and those that hired them (or why these people were hired in the first place). The concept is that those who survived the annual cull would be motivated to work even harder.' What a great way to build a talent culture!

Don't give me the bonus, but I'll keep the jet

Don Bates of Manhattan-based Media Distribution Services says that his favourite extreme motivation story involves that maverick of the multinationals, Jack Welch. Bates says: ˜When GE offered him - at age 63 - a $100 million pay package to stay with them until he was 65 - and he turned it down!' Here's what happened . In 1996 Welch was 61 years old and he had just had major heart surgery. All his predecessors had retired at around 62 and 63. The board offered him $100 million in restricted stock to stay until he was 65. Welch said he didn't want the money but what he did want was to keep the company plane that was at his disposal and the company apartment in New York, which cost GE about $1.7 million a year.

A first day experience

Clem Cheng, vice-president HR at Cigna Insurance, recounts a tale that shows how kindness and understanding can make a believer of any employee. ˜I had just started in a new position with CIGNA some years ago. On my first day of work, I learned that my career-long mentor had died. Without any hesitation, my new manager sent me on a plane to attend the funeral. With the timing and travel involved my first week or work was basically lost. I knew immediately that I was working for the right manager.'