Four great ways to use this question:

• Gives you a tool to identify your personal work values as opposed to the tangible benefits (money, retirement plans, promotions).
• Good tool to use when people aren't performing up to expectations; gets them to analyze whether the problem is that they're not enjoying what they're doing.
• A way to better structure non-monetary rewards. Some people may respond to incentives such as a chance to work with peers on self-directed teams or recognition from a superior.
• A good discussion point when people complain about lack of suitable financial compensation; the question gets people talking about issues such as personal satisfaction, challenge, and growth as other forms of compensation.

WAR STORY A few days after a session with salespeople who worked for a retailer, one of the individuals who had been there called us up and said he'd been thinking about our question. We remembered that during the meeting this young man had been very quiet, but now he seemed eager to share his thoughts.

"When you asked us that question, it surprised me," he told us. "I've only been in the work-force for a few years since getting out of college, but I've had four jobs. The other ones I didn't particularly like, but this one I do. I always assumed that I liked this one because it pays better than the others, they're paying for me to take graduate courses at night, that sort of thing. But I thought about it and decided there was an intangible. It's that this place lets me be myself. All the other places I worked, I felt I had to put on an act. Here, they allow all of us to use our personalities to help make sales. The last store I worked at, they all wanted us to conform to this behavioral model. So the freedom to be myself, that's the intangible."

USER'S MANUAL Some people do have to think about this question a bit before they answer. In fact, it's a good idea to be skeptical of quick and easy answers:

• What makes this job worthwhile is the people I work with.
• What's really important is having a boss I trust.
• The intangible benefit is that this is a place that encourages creativity and values everyone's ideas.

Real intangibles are often unique to the individual and can be illustrated by a story. We all value different things. Some people love the responsibility their organizations give them; others thrive in highly structured environments. There are those who love to work in places that give them a sense of belonging and family; others derive great satisfaction from being recognized as innovators.

Reprinted from 75 Cage Rattling Questions
by Dick Whitney and Melissa Giovagnoli.
Copyright 1997, The McGraw-Hill Cos.
Reprinted by permission of The McGraw-Hill Cos. Inc.
All rights reserved.