What's the prize though?

Have you ever wondered why almost every dentist office has prizes?

You may be saying... sure Dan.... but what the heck does that have to do with Employee Learning and Development?

I didn't think that there was a connection either.

Until I noticed my 11 year old's behavior at the Orthodontist the other day. At the end of each visit, my son goes up to the receptionist and asks for a token. He then uses that token to pick out one of the little prizes in the vending machines.

I'm spending I don't even know how much on his braces. The benefits of him having straight beautiful teeth for the rest of his life are huge.

But to him, the prize at the end of each visit (even if it is literally a five cent bouncy ball) seems to be EVEN MORE IMPORTANT than the long term benefits of going to the orthodontist.

Now, also last week, we interviewed one of our top customers who has incredible engagement in their Learning and Development program. Interestingly enough, they have a prize box full of tools that are worth about $20 each. Every time an employee completes the equivalent of about 8 hours of training in our platform, they can pick themselves out a prize.

This phenomenon blew my mind and I decided to do some research. Why does every dentist office in the country have prizes? Will this strategy work on adults? Below is what I've learned.

Build Small Prizes into your Employee Learning and Development Program

Here are 3 of the top reasons why Small Prizes work:

1. Positive Reinforcement: Sometimes training programs are fun, but other times we have to train our employees on topics that are not the most exciting. I actually wrote an article here on Mandatory vs Optional Training . That being said, training can sometimes get a bad reputation. Prizes can help overcome that negative reputation be rewarding those who complete their training programs in a timely manner.
2. Recognition and appreciation: We as leaders want to show our employees that we value their commitment to self-improvement and professional growth. There are countless studies that show how important it is to recognize employees, and in my perspective, will significantly contribute to the biggest Return-On-Investment of training . Small Prizes, plaques, awards, etc will all contribute to your employees self-confidence and self-worth.
3. Competitive and fun atmosphere: Prizes can introduce an element of healthy competition and gamification into your training programs. This can make the learning process more engaging and enjoyable for employees, leading to better retention and application of knowledge.

Sometimes we as leaders will forget the child-like motivations we all have inside of us. We forget to build the fun and mini-celebrations into our employees career development process. Small prizes are an incredible and inexpensive way to spark engagement and excitement into your Learning and Development program.

ACTION TIME:

1. Think about your team- what type of small prizes would they actually appreciate?
2. What type of learning goals should they complete in order to win these prizes?
3. Create your own "treasure chest" program to reward employees that commit to self-improvement and professional growth.

I appreciate you taking a moment to read today's fun article. Most people I meet have a bit of anxiety and fear when it comes to Professional Growth. Small Prizes are a great way for us as leaders to inspire learning and development in the workplace. Thank you for subscribing, and I look forward to continuing to provide you with real, actionable content week after week!

Your Friend,

Dan