"CHRISTMAS BONUSES ... BAH, HUMBUG!" SAYS LEADERSHIP AUTHORITY.

'Tis the season ... for year-end bonuses, but leadership authority, Brent Filson, says that as incentive tools, bonuses can be so much "humbug". "They're humbug because they often subvert employee incentive rather than fostering it," says Filson, founder and president of the Filson Leadership Group, Inc. "After all, when it comes to incentives, pay and perks are far less effective than good leadership."

(PRWEB) December 20 2003--'Tis the season ... for year-end bonuses, but leadership authority, Brent Filson, says that as incentive tools, bonuses can be so much "humbug".

"They're humbug because they often subvert employee incentive rather than fostering it," says Filson, founder and president of the Filson Leadership Group, Inc. "After all, when it comes to incentives, pay and perks are far less effective than good leadership."

An over reliance on bonuses can impair leadership effectiveness, Filson asserts. "Bonuses are the lowest form of incentives. Sure, they're great to get, and people will work hard for them. But when you look at them within the context of organizational results, they can cause big problems. For one thing, they can be abused. It's not uncommon for top leaders to give themselves the fat bonuses, leaving a trickle-down for others.

"The resentment that can breed far outweighs the supposed positive results of the bonuses. For another thing, leaders may see them as a substitute for doing the hard work it takes to motivate people and keep them motivated, listening to their concerns, addressing their problems, supporting them in their work, rewarding them, training them, and encouraging them. And for a third thing, bonuses can disrupt relationships between leaders and the people they lead. Great leaders are great because they can motivate people to get great results. They don't need give out bonuses and perks. They do it through great relationships."

Filson says that bonuses should not be scrapped. "I'm not a Scrooge. The Bob Cratchet's of business should have bonuses. But their bosses, who set up bonus systems, should give careful thought to how bonuses effect performance throughout the year. One way to do that is to link bonuses with results on an on-going basis. Organizations don't get people motivated simply by bonuses; it's done through leadership."

Brent Filson is founder and president of The Filson Leadership Group, Inc. His latest book is The Leadership Talk: Motivating People To Achieve More Results Faster, Continually. www.actionleadership.com

To download Brent Filson's 1,000 word article on How Leaders Motivate People To Get Great Results: http://actionleadership.com/press_room/index.html

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Press Contact:

Emiliano De Laurentiis

Knowledge Environments

(413) 458-5611

Direct Contact:

Brent Filson

The Filson Leadership Group, Inc.

(413)458-4403

brent@actionleadership.com