🛑 "Bonus" traps when rewards can burn people out

🛑 "bonus" trap when rewards can burn people out.

Do we misunderstand "motive"?

In the conference room, executives often ask each other:

"Give a bonus. Why aren't people working hard?"

This question sounds typical of people management, but it actually reflects a much deeper misunderstanding, because many organizations still believe that

"Money" is the answer to everything.

"I think that if you give enough, people will work better, be more dedicated and stay with the organization longer."

But in reality, if used incorrectly, money can become something that destroys motivation instead of building it, and that's where many organizations miss it.

📉 1. Rewards may make people more "unwilling to work."

The idea from the book Punished by Rewards clearly says

If we use too many rewards, such as bonuses or KPIs, people start to "stop enjoying work."

There is a very interesting research from Stanford, a child who used to draw because he "liked" if he had "drawn and won," the result is

* Children draw less

* And stop drawing when there is no reward

This also happens to working people. When an organization says, "Do this job and get a bonus," the brain immediately interprets, "This job is not interesting enough. There must be a mule." When this happens for a long time, people start working because of "money," not because they want to do it "or" proud of the job. "

And when one day there is no extra bonus, what is missing is not just money, but also "intention."

⚠️ 2. From "team" to "different people."

When organizations use bonuses as the primary driver, people's ways of thinking change bit by bit.

"How do we make it better?" becomes "What do I get from this job?"

The behavior that began to be obvious was

* Only works with KPIs

* Does not help tasks that do not score

* Compete rather than cooperate

* Sometimes "do not want to share knowledge" because they are afraid of others better.

What quietly disappears is

* Trust (Trust)

* Ownership

* And teamhood (Teamwork)

Finally, the organization becomes like a "market" where everyone comes to work for rewards, no one goes beyond their duties, and no one wants to help anyone.

🌪️ 3. The working world today is not stable.

In the past, people worked with one company for ten years, were stable, and connected.

But today, the world has changed. Organizations can

* Restructure

* Reduce costs

* Or Layoff at any time. Without the need for long-term bonding.

When this happens, the relationship between "people" and "organizations" gradually becomes a "trade-off."

Company Pay → Working Man → Finish

There is no real bond left, so if we leave the future with only a bonus, it is a risk we cannot see.

🚀 4. How should working people adapt?

If the working world changes like this, the most important thing is not the bonus, but the "value in ourselves."

4.1 Work so well that the "market needs"

Do not work just to please the chief, but to make others see that.

* What results can we produce?

* What can we solve?

And most importantly, what we do also works outside of this organization.

4.2 Continuously learning new things

The world changes very quickly. Things that were important five years ago may not matter today.

* Use of AI

* Understanding Data

* Analytical thinking

"The people who stop learning are the most vulnerable."

4.3 Build a quality network

Good opportunities in life often come not from job applications, but from "people who know us." Having a good network helps us

* There are new opportunities

* Have learned from a good man

* And someone helps in our day of trouble

4.4 There is a reserve for freedom in life.

Six to 12 months of reserve is not just about security, it's about "the power to choose."

* Not to put up with a job that's not

* Dare to deny something bad

* And dare choose a way that really suits yourself

✨ The conclusion is

Bonuses are not the whole answer to motivation.

* Meaningful work

* Atmosphere that makes people want to work

* And opportunities for people to grow

For working people, "Don't tie your life to a bonus at the end of the year," because the most important thing is "our own value."

"An organization may release you at any time, but if you create value, you will never run out."

# Two stories a day

# Employee Experience

# IntrinsicMotivation

# FutureOfWork

# Career Strategy

# ExecutiveMindset

# OrganizationalBehavior

📚 Source / Reference

* Punished by Rewards (Alfie Kohn): A classic psychology book that describes the disadvantages of using external rewards (Extrinsic Rewards) that have the effect of destroying internal motivation (Intrinsic Motivation) in the long run.

* The Magic Marker Experiment (Mark Lepper et al.): Psychological research from Stanford University (1973) that proved the Overjustification Effect phenomenon, in which external rewards diminish interest in doing self-favorite activities.

* Self-Determination Theory (Edward Deci & Richard Ryan): A fundamental theory of human psychological needs, which emphasizes the importance of Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness in creating sustainable motivation.