Three Bricklayers

The story of the three bricklayers has been around for many years. The reason it
continues to be told is the messages that the story tells. The following is the story
of The Three Bricklayers:

"Once there were 3 bricklayers. Each one of them was asked what they were
doing.

The first man answered gruffly, 'I'm laying bricks.'

The second man replied, 'I'm putting up a wall.'

But the third man said enthusiastically and with pride, 'I'm building a cathedral.'"
--Author Unknown

This story clearly reveals two secrets of success:

1. Attitude - Your attitude towards whatever you are doing determines your
ultimate level of success. Having enthusiasm and pride in what you are doing will
show in your work. Your attitude is one of the most important things that you
control. You choose your attitude each and every day.And the choice you make
will determine your success.

2. Ability to See the Bigger Picture - Being able to see the end result, rather than
just the task, eliminates obstacles, focuses your energy, and provides motivation
to excel. At times our focus is only on the immediate task. When we change our
focus on the bigger picture or the end result it provides motivation to continue, it
inspires solutions to challenges.

To summarize, when you face challenges, when you feel discouraged, when you
feel like you will never reach success, remember the story of The Three
Bricklayers and look at your attitude and visualize your end result
Should You Offer An Employee Retention Bonus?
Short answer: Definitely not.

What’s interesting, is that according to a recent WorldAtWork survey, the use of

employee retention bonuses is at an all-time high. But companies need to stop
doing this, it’s a waste of their money.

Like I mentioned before, money isn’t the main motivator. Most people that quit
their jobs quit because of a bad manager, or they’re not a good fit in the team.
You can correct these issues before offering more money. Also, even if you give
employees more money, they might still leave anyways.

Even if money were to motivate an employee to stay, that would wear off very
quickly, because the core issues like a bad manager, lack of career development,
etc. would still be a problem.

Also, it’s not a good sign if that’s what is motivating an employee. You want your
employees to be motivated by the amazing work you’re doing. If the employee is
motivated by money alone, it might actually be better if they left.

Another reason why I’m against retention bonuses is that it might have a negative
effect on everyone else. Their coworkers might wonder why they haven’t received
any extra money, which in turn will hurt overall morale and productivity.