reward

Check what actually gets praised, paid, and promoted, then compare it to the stated goal. People steer toward consequences, not announcements. If the incentive pays a different behavior than the target needs, effort flows there regardless of what the plan says.

Check what actually gets praised, paid, and promoted, then compare it to the stated goal. People steer toward consequences, not announcements. If the incentive pays a different behavior than the target needs, effort flows there regardless of what the plan says.

Example

On the missed quarter, you find commissions pay on bookings signed, not on revenue collected. Reps chase 90-day pilots that rarely convert, so the pipeline looks full while the number misses. The reward, not the effort, produced the gap.