We all struggle with how to present information. Whether good or bad, information can be
interpreted in drastically different ways by the recipient due to the delivery
by the presenter. The different
perceptions of the recipients of the same information, based on the delivery,
has been coined the “Presenter’s Paradox” by consumer behavior research
professor, Dr. Kim Weaver. I had the
pleasure of collecting data for Dr. Weaver’s research as a consumer behavior
research assistant at Virginia Tech. At
the time, I saw the value in the data, but could have never predicted how
applicable it would be in my profession.
Dr. Weaver, and her colleagues at the University of Michigan, has
identified a common misuse of gifts in which a “more is better” mentality
prevails. Often, those who design
rewards and recognition programs fail to anticipate how the full program will
be perceived in determining if the cost of program will be outweighed by the
benefit of employee behavior. Determining
the potential benefit starts with determining how employees will perceive the
entire program in terms of value. While
those giving rewards often feel that “more is better,” Dr. Weaver’s research
indicates that the overall bundle of rewards is evaluated and that “more”
is not always better.
Receivers of gifts and rewards use
an averaging technique when evaluating the full program. For example, a reward for completing training
for a new process implementation may include a $500 bonus and an umbrella
displaying a company logo. While this is
a nice incentive and reward, the research suggests that the value of this
reward is less than if you excluded the umbrella from the reward. Receivers of rewards and gifts use an
averaging technique during evaluation, and therefore the value of the $500 is
perceived to be less because the bundle includes the umbrella, which devalues
the bundle as a whole. As a presenter of
the reward, one would often believe that “the $500 bonus is great and why not
throw in a nice umbrella?” Save
your money and drop the umbrella.
Rewards and Recognition are valuable tools when motivating teams and
employees through process improvements and organizational change. Rewards are recognition are mentioned in many
Six Sigma and Lean references due to the value of proper utilization. An
effective rewards and recognitions plan can have significant benefits, such as
more motivated employees, improved morale, and a reinforcement of the company
goals and objectives. Due to the
importance of a rewards and recognition, any project moving employees from a
current to future state needs to have a plan which considers how rewards and
recognition will be leveraged, and must consider the psychology behind giving
and receiving awards.
The “presenter’s paradox” should also be considered when planning
communications, as combining multiple messages into one piece of communication can dilute
the message. Extremely important
messages can be diluted by less important ones if included in the same piece of
communication. When communicating
results of a transition from current state to future state, there can be large accomplishments
and “quick wins.” Displaying these in
the same piece of communication or within the same slide of a presentation can
mean decreasing the significance of the large accomplishment. Consider separating the communications, and
err on the side of over communicating.
Dr. Weaver’s research article, “The
Presenter’s Paradox,” has been accepted for publication by the Journal of
Consumer Research, and has been featured in major news outlets. The research finds strong application in
seven different product categories. The
“presenter’s paradox” should be considered when utilizing rewards to lead
employees through a change initiative, and when designing communications.
