Chapter 27
SELF-Rewards & NATURAL Rewards
Construction Stage 3.5 Landscaping
SAL Model Stage 3.5 Self-Reward and Natural Rewards
As a self-action leader, YOU can use both SELF-Rewards and NATURAL Rewards (1) as personal motivators along your SAL journey through life.
A Self-Reward is something concrete and tangible you give to yourself as a reward for making good decisions, remaining on task, staying focused, and working hard.
SELF-REWARD
Something concrete and tangible you give to yourself as a reward for
making good decisions, remaining on task, staying focused, and working hard.
Natural Rewards, on the other hand, are intangible rewards that come as a by-product of engaging in activities and tasks from which you naturally derive joy, pleasure, and satisfaction. Natural Rewards result from enjoying an activity for its own sake and can come even in the absence of external compensation, financial remuneration, self-rewards, and other gifts or perks.
NATURAL REWARDS
Intangible rewards that come as a by-product of engaging in activities
and tasks from which you naturally derive joy, pleasure, and satisfaction.
In the words of self-leadership experts, Chris Neck and Charles Manz, "No special externally administered or self-administered incentives are necessary to motivate [naturally rewarding] behavior [because] the incentives are built into the task itself." (2)
Naturally rewarding activities are often fun—the kind of tasks you would gladly perform even in the absence of external assignments or incentives. Work tasks that are naturally rewarding for me include conversation, reading, writing, speaking, teaching, organizing, making decisions, physical exercise, and travel. When I am engaged in these activities, I often enter FLOW (3) states, where I become so productively engrossed in the activity that I lose track of time, become hyper-focused on the task at hand, and experience a variety of positive emotions. Because I love work of this nature, I can focus intensely for long periods of time if necessary—and enjoy the process.
I enjoy—and even love—the work for the work's sake!
In our skyscraper metaphor, effectively utilizing Self-Rewards and Natural Rewards is comparable to landscaping the property grounds to enhance overall aesthetical atmosphere and beauty. Self-Rewards and Natural Rewards provide both beauty (in the form of motivation) and appeal (in the form of pleasure) to various tasks you will engage at home and work.
Effectively and strategically utilizing Self-Rewards and discovering Natural Rewards in whatever tasks you undertake can lead to increased motivation, satisfaction, fulfillment, pleasure, and even joy along the pathways of your work obligations and life's journey.
As Mary Poppins famously remarked: In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and snap! The job's a game! (4)
"In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun.
Your find the fun and snap! The job's a game!"
In the words of self-leadership expert, Dr. Charles C. Manz:
"The road to higher performance, while often rocky and challenging, should be made as naturally rewarding as possible. ... [We] can build enjoyment into [our] work. To the extent that work can be enjoyed—that is, that it can naturally pull workers to perform—tremendous motivational power is available." (5)
Self-Rewards and Natural Rewards are two of the most powerful tools at your disposal as a self-action leader. Make sure to utilize both kinds of rewards to their utmost along your journey up the SAL Hierarchy.
—Dr. JJ
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Chapter 27 Notes
1. Neck, C. P., & Manz, C. C. (2010). Mastering Self-leadership: Empowering Yourself for Personal Excellence (Fifth Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Chapter 4, pages 27-28.
2. Ibid. Page 38.
3. Jackson, B. H. (2011). Finding Your Flow: How to Identify Your Flow Assets and Liabilities—the Keys to Peak Performance Every Day. College Station, TX: Virtualbookworm.com Publishing Inc.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. New
York, NY: HarperPerennial ModernClassics
4. Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins (1964). Directed by Robert Stevenson. Written by Bill Walsh and Don Da Gradi.
5. Manz, C. C. (1983). Improving Performance Through Self-Leadership. National Productivity Review (pre-1986). Volume 2, Issue 3, p. 288-297. Pages 294-295.
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