Business owners often try to buy motivation. Someone’s not quite performing, so out comes the carrot — a bonus, a target, a “special incentive.” It feels rational, but it’s the wrong tool for the job.
As Dan Pink showed in Drive, once people are paid fairly, money stops being a motivator. It still matters, of course — everyone deserves to feel secure and respected — but it doesn’t make people care. Trying to pay someone into caring about their work is like watering plastic flowers. It looks busy, but nothing’s really growing.
The most powerful motivator isn’t a bonus. It’s pride — in the company, in the team, and in your own contribution.
Pride in the company comes from believing it stands for something more than profit. People want to be part of a business that does things the right way, treats customers well, and stands for values they can respect. If you can connect the day-to-day work to a bigger purpose, people will invest themselves in it.
Pride in the team comes from belonging. When people trust each other, respect each other’s strengths, and share small wins, they create energy no incentive plan can match. It’s what turns colleagues into collaborators.
Pride in personal contribution is built through appreciation. Real, human recognition — not a gift card, not a line in a performance review, but genuine words: “You handled that brilliantly.” “That project worked because of your attention to detail.” Those moments stay with people far longer than any bonus figure they barely notice on a payslip.
The irony is that appreciation costs nothing, yet it’s the one thing too many leaders withhold. They confuse money with meaning.
So yes — pay people properly. Fairly, transparently, and without drama. But once that’s done, stop trying to bribe commitment. You’ll get far more by creating a workplace people are proud to be part of, where they feel trusted, supported, and recognised.
