‘They reduce our bonus if our calls go longer than three minutes. I’m not going to lie; I start talking faster at the 90-second mark.”

“She asked me to suggest ideas, so I did. I now have a whole bunch of extra work to do. It’s the last time I’m opening my mouth. I didn’t realize offering an idea meant signing up to execute it.”

“I get paid for selling products. Deep down, I know some of my customers don’t need what I’m recommending, but I do it anyway. Nothing has happened to me as far as consequences go, but how wrong can it be if nobody is complaining? I’m not proud, but I am getting decent checks. It’s a living.”

“We’re supposed to be polite, but most people aren’t. Nobody does anything about it. I guess that’s how business goes around here. I don’t know why I keep trying.”

Wow! Incentives and consequences have power. Are you motivating the right behavior, or are you encouraging people to act in ways you don’t want? Misguided incentives or misaligned consequences have a huge downside. However, with careful thinking, you can avoid missteps.

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