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Accountants and business advisors
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The Hawthorne Experiment
There was an interesting experiment carried out in the 1920s at an electric company in the USA.
Designed to test the effect on output of changes in the workplace, the Hawthorne Experiment began with researchers increasing the light intensity. In other words, they turned up the lights.
Productivity increased. So they turned up the lights some more. Productivity increased again. Eventually the lights were so bright people could barely see through the glare and productivity was through the roof.
So they turned the lights down. Productivity increased. They turned them down some more.
Productivity increased some more.
Finally the penny dropped. The level of lighting had nothing to do with productivity. The workers were responding to the attention being paid to them.
Has the penny dropped at your organisation? People enjoy attention; they like to know that their efforts are appreciated. Surprisingly, recognition – a simple acknowledgement of their value – is often more effective a motivator than cash rewards.
Many companies talk of their people as being their greatest asset. They certainly will be - if you pay them some attention.
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