Incentive Plan
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The military has goals and for each mission, war, or major operation, but the overall objective is to protect the nation and fight for freedom. The overall objective during peace time is keeping the fleets, Atlantic and Pacific, ready and alert operating as aircraft carrier battle groups in support of vital U.S. national interests throughout the world. There are many branches within the military whose ultimate objective is to support the fleets, and these could have as many as five hundred members. The military has various incentive plans, which all, relate and aim to the accomplishment of the organization objectives.
The military has over the years, as many other non-government organizations, focused more on its personnels welfare, and moral, and has been utilizing different incentive tools to keep personnel motivated, productive and retain the talent with the organization. The most popular incentive in the military is time off given to the members as a reward for a specific accomplishment. Military members place a high value on time off because of the length of time spent on assignments away from home and loved ones. They use this time for themselves and their loved ones whenever the opportunity is there. The working hours in the military can be long and strenuous due to the nature of the task at hand. A member can continuously work on a ship that is underway (sailing) up to 17 hours a day, for a few days, or until the task at hand is completed. Many members are motivated and dedicated to the job and do not mind working the long hours because, while sailing, there is no physical place they can go to. Managers know members appreciate the time they can spend with their families once they return to land, and utilize this incentive tool to show their appreciation and to reward the members for their dedication and efforts.
Another incentive tool widely used by the military are awards. Awards are classified in different levels and carried different weight. A letter of “Appreciation” is mostly presented to lower level members. The supervisors express on this letter the specific accomplishment of the individual and their appreciation. The award is mostly presented before an audience. The letter does not have any value other than the recognition and expressed appreciation of supervisors. Other merit letters, based on what level of management is coming from, are worth certain points that count towards the individuals promotion. For example, a letter issued by the most senior official member of the organization has a merit of two points, which will be added to the members final score when up for promotion. Members, mainly lower level, are truly motivated by this type of recognition since they feel their dedication does not go unnoticed.
Medals are another type of award. This could be for an individual as well as for the entire unit, or team. These are initiated by the supervisors and require the most senior members approval. Most are worth points that count towards the members promotion when the time comes. The medals are a symbol of pride since it becomes part of the uniform, and every member of the entire organization, the military, know the meaning of each medal. They are worn