This study compared the effects of "typical" staff supervision to "typical" staff supervision plus one of two self-management strategies for improving work productivity of eight mentally retarded workers in a sheltered workshop. The first self-management strategy consisted of self monitoring plus one minute goal setting at the beginning of each half-day of work plus one minute of back-up social contigencies at the end of each half-day of work. The second self-management strategy was the same as that described above, plus a monetary bonus system for productivity. Procedural reliabilities were obtained on the components of the "typical" staff supervisory strategy and the self-management strategies. Both self-management strategies produced an increase in worker productivity, and there was little to recommend one over the other. Some limitations of existing research on self-management procedures for improving productivity of mentally retarded workers were discussed.