One of the hardest concept to implement inside a company is deferred gratification, as opposed to get a cash instant cash bonus. I overheard something in the men's room today about the Stanford Marshmallow Study, where you test kids to act on their impulses (eat the marshmallow now) versus deferring the gratification (wait 20 minutes, and you'll get two marshmallows instead of a single one).
I'm writing this on the blog before I forget it, we're having quite a party with the CGI Germany unit. Note to HR: we need to implement a CGI version of the marshmallow test to screen bozos and obnoxious Gen Y people.
Here's how it should work: You get employee to choose between the two following: either get your full profit-sharing bonus in '09, or wait another year and you will have 1.6 shares in 2010.
Normal people will automatically think that they should get 2.0 shares the next year since they'll skip a year there it's 1.0 + 1.0 share the next year, right? Smart asses will ask for 2.10 shares because of compound interests. Typical Gen Y youths will ask for 25.0 shares because they deserve it - period. Stupid people will think 1.6 shares every two year is better than 1.0 share every year. The latter should be fired and discreetly sent to competitors.
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