Five chapters done, two more to go.  I hope my friends at World at Work like the theme of my third book Narrowing the Focus while Expanding the Scope.  The premise is simple:  Ensure that top performers receive the majority of the company’s rewards, whether formal, informal, or spot.

Why?

’cause I said so.

Oops, sorry, thought I was talking to my 16 year old.

In all seriousness, it’s critical that the employees who contribute the most to the company success receive the greatest rewards and recognition.

It seems recently completed surveys shows that companies are doing just that.

Hewitt, Watson Wyatt, and Mercer are projecting increases in salary of around 3.6% for 2009,  with companies reserving the bulk of the pay raises for their top performers…

And what do the low performers get?  The opportunity to keep their jobs.

Some employees would question the fairness of this approach, however ensuring that the employees who contribute the most receive the greatest rewards and recognition is the ultimate in fairness.  As long as all workers have the opportunity to shine, receive training and development that allow them to perform up to their potential, and their performance management process, including setting goals and expectations, meet the RUMBA test (Reasonable, Understandable, Measurable, Believable, and Attainable), what could be more equitable.

With inflation running around 5% this year, making sure the best employees stay longer, work harder, and recommend the organization as a great place to work makes good business cents….

Yup, I meant to write it that way…