Every year, firm leaders devote vast energy to pursuing the perfect blend of financial incentives to influence attorney behavior. Their quest is premised on deeply held assumptions about the motivational power of money and a belief that if management can just get the compensation scheme right, attorneys will adjust their actions.
Money does motivate us. Professionals need to feel that their compensation is commensurate with their contributions and in line with what their peers earn. Financial rewards can be one way to express appreciation and acknowledge a job well done, but it is not the only way. The fact is that the more a firm uses money as a motivator, the more likely it is to suffer negative effects.
