So, if I’m in charge of managing a group of people to deliver a piece of work, and I feel like they're not working as hard as they should—showing up late, wasting time, and generally not putting in their best effort. Maybe.. If I engage them in activities like improv workshops, scavenger hunts or escape rooms, they'll do better? Nope, none of these, nor any other extrinsic motivation approaches will ever work.
These superficial incentives merely serve as temporary fixes, the modern day bread and circuses, they may provide momentary enjoyment, but they do not address the root causes of issues. just like our medical system, which often treats symptoms rather than underlying conditions. These surface-level perks only buy more time without truly addressing the fundamental needs or concerns of employees, leading to the cringy posts on LinkedIn where "adult" homo-sapiens often indulge in the act of degrading themselves for... Ok we won't talk about that here.
So as a manager leading a team, particularly in a startup environment free from bureaucratic corporate hell hierarchies, how can you ensure consistent performance, accountability, and high standards without resorting to the aforementioned tactics?
Human Nature 101: I'm Human, I'm Selfish
Put yourself in my shoes, my primary concern is my own well-being. Deep down, we're all inherently selfish creatures, wired to prioritize our own needs and desires. When it comes to work as a software engineer, if I'm being paid a monthly salary, frankly, I couldn't care less about the company, the project or you, even if I tell you otherwise. All I'm focused on is fulfilling my contractual obligation to put in a certain number of hours to ensure I get paid. It's a means to survive, to sustain my lifestyle, which mostly involves purchasing things I don't even need.
Now, if I want to indulge in more unnecessary purchases, my options are limited. Sure, I could resort to ass-kissing and office politics, that will work for me, but, will it work for the favor of the person who's life is actually impacted by the success of the project? Probably not.
To ensure the success of the project, it's imperative for me (and my team, as we share the same mindset being humans) to continuously enhance our skills, refine our craft, and consistently strive for efficiency, always on our "A" game. However, in a system where compensation remains detached from performance, where individuals receive the same reward regardless of their effort, it begs the question – why should I bother at all?
I Get Paid Regardless
If I'm putting in hours of my life, knowing that my efforts won't be financially rewarded any differently, regardless of whether I excel or just meet the minimum requirements, then why bother going above and beyond? Why care about the success or failure of the project, I get paid anyway? I'll leave that headache to you. My role is simply to fulfill my contractual obligations which is to spend "x" number of hours staring at a screen, probably aimlessly scrolling through social media for fleeting dopamine hits, attend some meetings from time to time, collect my paycheck, and navigate this dystopian nightmare within the confines of my office until I randomly get "laid off", and repeat the cycle again with another company.
The Solution Is Simple
Task-based payment structure: you close tasks, you get paid; you don't, you get nothing.
So the more tasks I close, the greater my earnings. If I can swiftly churn through tasks, I'll boost my income, this motivates me to excel, think harder, and learn more. The faster I solve problems, the sooner I reap rewards and enjoy free time. This directly translates to faster product shipping with higher quality, increasing the likelihood of overall product success. This benefits everyone involved, so everyone can get a bag.
Reward And Punishment
With this system, individual accountability is self-imposed, employees become self-disciplined and self-motivated. They know what they work for, how to achieve better results, and exactly what needs to be done in order to help the project move forward. You don't have to micromanage people, your job is to give them S.M.A.R.T tasks, and let meritocracy guide the progress. Team member must own their tasks and outcomes. This is the environment where top performers thrive while those who fall short are encouraged to either improve or leave.
Be Transparent Towards Everyone, We'll Understand
Teams crave authenticity from their leaders, seeking honest communication over sugar-coated promises. Concealing risks or painting an unrealistic picture undermines credibility. Manipulative tactics, such as dishonesty or misleading promises, are counterproductive and only serve to breed distrust and stress among everyone involved.
One of the main reasons for this lack of transparency is the fear of exposing disparities and inequalities within the organization. Why is Alice for example not allowed to tell Bob about her salary? Well, we have no logical fair reason why she gets paid more than Bob, so let's keep it a secret, so tell them both not talk about it, it's taboo. Does this remind you of something?
When operating within a transparent reward and consequence framework governed by predetermined rules, everyone comprehends the rationale behind decisions and outcomes. So, if Alice earns more than Bob, it's because she delivers more, it becomes fair and comprehensible, Bob won't get mad, he understands, he has to deliver more to make more.
Therefore, discussions about compensation, career progression, salaries, bonuses, benefits, and, most crucially, demoting and firing people, must all be conducted openly, not behind closed-doors.
If layoffs are necessary, be honest about it. We all have to cut corners to save money sometimes, but at least do it intelligently. Starting with underperforming people and explaining why is a sensible strategy. Software professionals are mature adults capable of understanding the rationale behind business decisions. So, let's treat them as such.
Conclusion
Unless your team get paid for deliverables like software quality, closed tasks, documents, products shipped etc.., they'll spend 90% of the time in bullshit meetings, coffee breaks and conference calls, playing pong or acting like monkeys for entertainment. Just wasting the "allocated" burget.