How to Recognize & Reward Employees: 150 Ways to Inspire Peak Performance, Second Edition

Chapter 9. Reward the Whole Team

One of the biggest changes in organizations over the past decade has been the increasing emphasis on teams to get work done. Self-managed teams and cross-functional teams have revolutionized the shape of the organization chart and the way work is done in many of the top-ranked companies in business today.

Inevitably, the focus on teams is also changing the way organizations reward their people. Traditional reward systems, which encourage individual achievement, are often at odds with the goals and the structure of teams.

When self-managed teams were still new, one national health insurance company reorganized its claims office into work teams that included claim processors, technical experts, and customer service ...