Welcome to our new installment, Fresh Perspective Fridays. FPF will serve as a vehicle for us to bring you inside the doors of Rymax – where you can better get to know our people, our culture, our philosophies and values.

This week, there has been a lot of conversation about the gigantic jackpots for both the Mega Millions and the Powerball lotteries. People everywhere are scurrying to their nearest convenience store and smoke shop as the combined payoff for these two drawings nears $550 million dollars.

Though the chances of winning either of these jackpots is bleakly slim (winning Powerball: 1 in 292,201,338; winning Mega Millions: 1 in 258,890,850), hopeful consumers remind themselves that “you gotta be in it, to win it” and insist that anything is possible because, “hey, you never know…”

The old slogan for NY lotto told us that that “all you need is a dollar and a dream…”

That may be true.

That dream, that hope, that blind faith, gives people something to hold on to. In our hearts, none of us actually think we’re going to win the lottery, but it’s still fun to play. The joy of playing the lottery is imagining what you would do with all the money. How would you spend it? Who would you share it with?

The fun is in the dream.

The truth is, in life, people need something to aspire to…something to reach for. It gives us purpose. It brings us focus. It keeps us motivated.

Much like lottery ticket holders, employees also need an end goal to keep them focused and driven.

Implementing a points-based, employee engagement program that rewards people for their efforts with premium merchandise gives employees something to strive for. It gives them something to aspire to – a goal to be reached. They envision themselves earning enough points to redeem for a new designer handbag, the latest and greatest electronic device or stylish and trending sunglasses.

In the process, it also shows the organizations’ appreciation for employees’ commitment and contributions.

People need to feel valued both at home and at work. We seek validation and appreciation from our loved ones, our colleagues and our superiors. An employee who feels recognized tends to be more motived and has a positive feeling about themselves and their ability to contribute to the company.

In fact, studies show that 60% of best-in-class organizations stated that employee recognition is extremely valuable in driving individual performance.

So if you like that your employee organized an excel spreadsheet, handled a complicated customer inquiry, handed in a report before the deadline or even just provided you with a good idea, recognize their good work. When it is recognized, it confirms with the employee they are on the right track and encourages continued productivity.

If you want employees to succeed, remind them that all they need is a point and a dream…only this time, the odds are heavily in their favor.