The drip-drip of motivation

As anyone with a gym or health club membership knows, the hardest part of going to the gym is getting through the door.

Lao Tzu tells us that even a "journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step". You've got to start somewhere, but taking that first step is the hardest part.

The answer lies in establishing a routine, getting into the habit. Once you've taken that first step, it's easier to keep going.

The same applies to incentives. Making motivation a habit is the key to successful incentive activity. Smaller, regular rewards and communication are much more effective than big, infrequent rewards. Motivation happens via a series of small steps.

We have always believed that rewards and incentives are a key to open a channel of communication between an organisation and its staff and partners. So it's vital that this channel stays open, supplying a stream of regular communication and rewards. A steady drip-drip is better than an occasional gush follow by months of drought.

Make motivation a habit, not an occasion.