David Gurteen

How do we makeHow do we makepeople do thingspeople do things??

KM World 2007

David GurteenGurteen Knowledge

David Gurteen

A story:A story:How do we make them use it?How do we make them use it?

Henley Management College

Work with People Work with People don’t do things to them!don’t do things to them!

Many of the familiar principles of Quality management amount to an

elaboration of this simple truth:

an innovative, healthy organization requires that we work with people

rather than do things to them.

Alfie Kohn

David Gurteen

Should we rewardknowledge sharing activity?

David Gurteen

For Best Results: Forget the Bonus!

Here is what Alfie Kohnsays about rewards

To the best of my knowledge, no controlled scientific study has ever found a long-term

enhancement of the quality of work as a result of any reward

system

http://www.alfiekohn.org

David Gurteen

Alfie Kohn on rewardsAlfie Kohn on rewards

• Rewards punish• Rewards rupture relations• Rewards ignore reasons• Rewards deter risk taking• Rewards undermine interest

David Gurteen

Rewards PunishRewards Punish

• Threats & coercion destroy motivation and so do rewards

• Rewards are manipulative• “Do this and you will get that” is not much different to

“Do this else here is what will happen to you”• When people do not get the reward they hoped for

they feel punished• The more desirable the reward the more

demoralizing it is to miss out

David Gurteen

Rewards rupture relationsRewards rupture relations

• Excellence depends on teamwork• Rewards (especially if scarce) destroy

cooperation• Incentive driven employees will not ask for

help from their manager when they need it• People will conceal problems from their

manager to appear infinitely competent

David Gurteen

Rewards ignore reasonsRewards ignore reasons

• To solve problems people must understand the causes

• They ignore the complexities of the problems• Each situation calls for a different response• Rewards tend to blindly promote a single

solution

David Gurteen

Rewards deter risk-takingRewards deter risk-taking

• People are less likely to take risks; to explore possibilities; to play hunches

• The No. 1 casualty of rewards is creativity

David Gurteen

Rewards undermine interestRewards undermine interest

• Loving what you do is a more powerful motivator than any goody including money

• Rewards are controlling!• If people focus on getting a reward they tend

to feel their work is no longer freely chosen and directed by them

• If they have to bribe me to do it - it mustbe something I don’t want to do!

David Gurteen

So what’s the solution?So what’s the solution?

How do we make people share?

How do we make people do anything?

How do we make people use the new KM system?

David Gurteen

Alfie KohnAlfie Kohn

• Pay people well• Pay people fairly• Then do everything possible to

take money (rewards) off people’s minds

Incentives, bonuses, pay-for-performance-plans and other reward systems violate this last principle by

their very nature!

David Gurteen

Bob BuckmanBob Buckman

Our approach to KM is far more than stick or carrot.

We say, "Knowledge Sharing is your job. Do it!"

As a reward you may keep your job.

David Gurteen

John HoltJohn Holt

Children do not need to be made to learn to be better, told what to do or shown how.

If they are given access to enough of the world, they will see clearly enough what

things are truly important to themselves and to others, and they will make for themselves a

better path into that world then anyone else could make for them

John Holt

David Gurteen

Anthony de MelloAnthony de Mello

The only way to change is to change your understanding.

Anthony de MelloJesuit Priest

David WeinbergerDavid Weinberger

For all our knowledge, we have no idea what we're talking about.

We don't understand what's going on in our business, our market, and our world.

KM shouldn’t be about helping us to know more. It should be about helping us to

understand.

So, how do we understand things? … It's through stories that we understand how the

world works.

David Weinberger, The Cluetrain Manifesto

David Gurteen

So how do we make people do things?

How do we make people share?

How do we make people do anything?

How do we make people use the new KM system?

And what role should rewards play?

David Gurteen

www.gurteen.com

David GurteenGurteen KnowledgeTel: +44 1252 812 878Email: david.gurteen@gurteen.com