Why the power of choice transforms travel incentives

What did you have for lunch today?

How did you commute to work?

Where do you live?

What are you doing this weekend?

If you asked a handful of people these questions, you’d end up with countless answers.

Lunch? “I had soup, because it’s so chilly today.” or “I grabbed a sandwich in a hurry.”

Commute? “I took the bus – parking is a nightmare.” or “I drove my car.”

The large spectrum of answers is a result of something we take for granted: choice. Most of the time we are fortunate enough make decisions based on our current needs and wishes. The daily choices I make differ from yours because we have different priorities, concerns, goals and preferences.

If the city dweller had to move to the suburbs or the football fanatic were forced to go camping, they’d probably be pretty unhappy. Not because either option is inherently bad or good, but because the powerful element of choice has been removed. Having the privilege of choice simply adds an extra layer of satisfaction.

There’s nowhere the power of choice is more evident than with incentive travel. Participants have the luxury of selecting their own destination, activities and travel pals on their own timeline. The result is a travel incentive truly built by the earner. The devoted dad can take his family of four to Disneyland while the world traveler can explore Thailand with her best friend. Another top performer may take a romantic trip to Paris while her beach bum colleague chills in Hawaii.

The power of choice is a great way to up the ante, but it also it also stacks the deck for a strong future performance. Whether the destination is Disneyland, Thailand, Paris or Hawaii, top performers enthusiastically bring their stories back to the workplace – generating renewed motivation to achieve top performance for the following year.

Where would you go? What would you do? Go on, dream a little.