It happens every so often that pop culture taps into some deeper current in the zeitgeist. So it happened on a rainy Saturday afternoon this past summer when, unable to persuade my two pre-teen sons to go see the international puppet show at the local library (“Ma-ah-om…that’s so lame!”), I took them to the cineplex to see Spiderman 2. If you’re one of the half dozen people who hasn’t seen this particular blockbuster, here’s the film’s storyline in a nutshell: Superhero Spiderman must battle a new archenemy who also possesses phenomenal powers. The problem is, Spidey (who is also a full-time college student and part-time pizza delivery boy) is suffering from job burnout. Just as he enters the fray with the villain, his web-slinging fizzles out. He’s losing his mojo. If you’re swinging on a thread between skyscrapers, this is not a good thing. ▪ While some economists have disputed the “jobless recovery” description, recent U.S. Labor Department reports show much slower job growth than might be expected based on other corporate health indicators. Analysts speculate that the high cost of healthcare and other benefits are keeping employers from staffing back up to pre-recession levels. As a result, growth at many companies is being built on the efforts of existing staff. These are folks who may be shouldering much more of the workload than they would have been expected to take on just ten years ago. Sound familiar? ▪ How to keep these folks believing in the corporate mission — especially when they’re in front of the customer? Research from the Forum for People Performance Measurement and Management shows that incentives can significantly improve employee attitudes and performance. In our Special Report (starting on page 49), we look at the latest developments in on-the-job P&I. ▪ We won’t stop there, however. Beginning this month, PROMO will begin offering bi-weekly news on the people, programs and innovations making a difference by way of premiums and incentives marketing. Our new e-newsletter, “PROMO P&I,” debuts September 15. In the premiere issue, we’ll highlight findings from the proprietary research we conducted this summer on the latest trends in P&I strategies for both consumer and b-to-b audiences. To start your free subscription, just visit promomagazine.com. As always, I’m eager to hear your feedback!
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