Team performance appraisals are equally as important as individual appraisals, since "Organizations that only measure and recognize individual performance have found that team development and performance are jeopardized because they appear to be ignored" ("Performance Appraisal for Teams: An Overview," 1998, p. 1). Team performance appraisals shift the manager's focus from individual incentive systems to "group incentive plans," thus rewar

Performance Appraisal for Teams: An Overview. (1998). United States Office of Personnel Management. Retrieved on January 15, 2009 from: http://www.opm.gov/perform/wppdf/teams2.pdf

Benefits of Using Nonmonetary Awards. (1995). U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Retrieved on January 15, 2009 from: http://www.opm.gov/perform/articles/011.asp

Employees respond well to both monetary and nonmonetary awards. A study of private sector awards found that although employers spent less on nonmonetary than cash awards, "the awards held approximately the same perceived value" to employees and achieved approximately the same level of performance improvement ("Benefits of Using Nonmonetary Awards," 1995). Nonmonetary awards can take the form of a memento honoring employee achievement, a trophy for good work ("Benefits of Using Nonmonetary Awards," 1995), or privileges such as a better parking space, discretionary time off, or the flexibility to work a different schedule. The important thing is that empl