Awards: Lunch with the Boss
Some companies believe that lunch or dinner with the president of the company constitutes a meaningful award. The jury is out on this conclusion, especially since surveys asking employees about their award preferences almost always put “lunch with the boss” down at the bottom. Surveys, of course, can be misleading, because people might not want to admit that lunch with the boss would motivate them. On the other hand, some people feel intimidated around a big company CEO and would not know what to say. It certainly cannot hurt to offer top-performing employees and the president an opportunity to dine together, but positioning a meal with the president as an award also reinforces a sense of hierarchy from which many organizations have tried to move away.
Pros:
- Some employees might feel honored to dine with the CEO.
- Some might enjoy the opportunity to have direct communication with a top executive.
- The president might benefit from a more casual encounter with top performing employees.
Cons:
- Can reinforce a hierarchical culture some companies want to avoid.
- Can appear cheap, especially if the CEO isn’t popular.
