Incentives Can Encourage Feelings of Accomplishment
Do you know the difference between a bribe and an incentive? Are your children and employees always concerned with WIIFE (what’s in it for me)? Do you think the sense of entitlement some children have is growing? How do you teach the inner reward when they want an outer or tangible gift?
In this article, we will discuss the place of incentives in motivation.
A job well done is a reward in itself.
The feeling of completing a task can’t be duplicated or replaced, and it encourages us to start other tasks and move on to do more things. However, a little incentive every once in a while never hurt anything. If you’re looking for ways to get your children to feel motivated to do their chores, try giving them an incentive.
An incentive is something small, like a treat, game, privilege, or special time with parents. Don’t get an incentive confused with bribes, which are more like blackmail than encouragement. When you offer your child incentive, it’s like a little extra something in addition to the overall feeling of accomplishment your child will feel when she’s finished her job.
If your child feels accomplished and happy after a job well done, this feeling will carry over. She’ll be more inclined to finish other tasks, and be more self-motivated.
Difference Between Bribe and Incentive
The difference between a bribe and an incentive is in the way you word it. A bribe is something like, “If you clean your room, you can have ice cream,” while an incentive should go, “When you’ve finished cleaning your room, I’ll take you to get ice cream.”
The bribe gives the child a choice, and puts the child in charge. The child feels like she can make demands. On the other hand, the incentive leaves no room for avoiding or changing the terms. The word “when” makes it clear that your child must finish her task, and only then will she be rewarded.
When your child has finished her job successfully, not only give her whatever reward or incentive you’ve promised, but also praise her work. Make eye contact to make your child feel loved, that they are contributing to the family as a whole.
Feelings of Accomplishment
Finishing a project correlates to self confidence. It doesn’t have to be done perfectly; it just has to be done. Encouragement is a process of learning, helping the child to “own” the job and develop their own style of doing it.
When a task is completed, no matter what, it gives the worker a feeling of accomplishment and self worth. This feeling will carry over to other aspects of life. So make sure your children feel rewarded and good about themselves when they finish a task or project, and they will be more likely to work hard and be confident throughout life.
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