Solving the Pain

I had a headache yesterday.

It didn’t help that I had a client with a problem too. My Rideau colleague, Gord Green, asked if we were addressing their “pain”.

I knew what mine was. What was theirs?

Recognition has to be strategically aligned with key business objectives to work. Goals can be financial, performance or people related actions that are a pain right now. Some metric isn’t being met.

Meanwhile I took a couple of Advil®. But how does Advil® work?

It seems the active ingredient, ibuprofin, is a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug which reduces inflammation and relieves pain. It is best taken with milk or food to prevent an upset stomach. Amazing! This nifty little pain reliever has been around since the 1960s.

Finding out the business pain can be a harder task. Business leaders must stop denying there is a pain problem until it’s too late and amputation is required! Diagnosing the problem assists with knowing what recognition pill to take and then zero in and relieves the pain.

So, where does it hurt? = Determine the pain problem. Define the actions and behaviors which could solve the business problem for you. If innovative problem solving would help get your lead product out the door quicker, then reward people who produce successful solutions and guarantee measureable results.

How much does it hurt? = Measure the frequency, occurrence, and quality of target behaviors. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being low and 10 being high, how painful is this problem? Once you know the behaviors and actions required for solving a problem determine the best way to measure them. Don’t use a yardstick when you need a thermometer.

Take two Advil on a full stomach = Determine the right rewards and/or recognition. Put strategic, tactical recognition actions in place that best fits reinforcing and recognizing target behaviors. A points-based incentive program could reward incremental behaviors towards a major business goal; a nominated awards program could help improve living of corporate values; or simply managers having more one-on-one positive feedback opportunities to improve engagement levels.

By the end of the afternoon my headache was gone. The Advil® had worked. My pain was gone.

The client? Well they’re not sure where it hurts. They just know they have a pain in their business. So I am not sure whether to prescribe Advil®, Tylenol®... or a shotgun!