A small story on “Intent and Incentive”

A company introduced a bonus for employees who closed the most projects each quarter.

The intent was to improve speed and productivity.

Instead, collaboration dropped, tasks were rushed, and quality suffered.

People focused on individual numbers rather than team success.

Leadership realized their intent encouraged teamwork, but the incentive rewarded competition.

When they shifted rewards to team outcomes and client satisfaction, collaboration and quality improved immediately.

Moral of this story: People respond to incentives more than intentions. When both align, performance and culture strengthen together.