Whats The Payoff

Problem: One or more people around you are working in ways that seem at odds with the goals of the project. The goals are well stated, and people have "bought in" to them, but, for seemingly unfathomable reasons, behavior isn't aligned with achieving those goals.

Context: Any situation where multiple reward systems may be at play.

Forces:

• Rewards influence motivation and behavior.
• The notion of a "reward" is highly personal. People are motivated by a range of internal rewards (i.e., knowing that they've done a good job), and external rewards (public accolades, bonuses, promotions). One person's reward can be another's punishment.
• People may be driven by the memory of how they or others were rewarded in past situations. Their identity may be based on past rewards (e.g., "I got where I am by doing gnarly optimizations!")
• The corporate reward structure may be at odds with the projects goals (e.g., "But we get a bonus if we ship by the end of the quarter!").

Solution: The solution takes two tracks. The first is to compare the overt reward structure to the project goals, and to work to get them into alignment (or at least to make any discontinuities visible).

The second track is to discover what motivates the people on the project, and how they perceive the explicit and implicit reward structure. Get at their "what's in it for me," and discuss with them how that is or isn't in alignment with the needs of the project. Often, one's view of rewards is based on a history that no longer applies.

With these understandings, the basis is laid for either realigned the reward structure, or realigned individual perceptions about rewards and desired behavior.

Resulting Context: The issues of goals, rewards, and behavior are visible. Ideally, the reward structure is then aligned with project goals, and behavior is aligned with project goals.

-- DaveSmith (3/8/96)