Corollary A: Behavior is not binary; base pay and bonus are not the only tools available to achieve the outcomes you seek. Corollary B: Having only a hammer and a screwdriver in your toolkit is no way to build a stable house. A building does not come together because people simply show up and work hard. It comes together because different tools are used for different purposes. A saw cuts. A level aligns. A tape measure confirms. Scaffolding provides access. A blueprint guides

It’s not the rider’s fault if a bike with square wheels fails to produce the outcome you seek. That is a design problem. Corollary A: Water flows to the lowest point; shape the system. Corollary B: Can you reasonably expect different outcomes than your design was built to produce? A bicycle with square wheels can still move. A skilled rider may even be able to keep it balanced, push it forward, and make some progress. With enough effort, strength, and determination, the bike

When employees do not receive information, they do not stop forming opinions.

Image Courtesy of AP Photos Like many sports fans, I've been thoroughly enjoying the FIFA Club World Cup. Like many Americans, though, I'm still trying to make sense of football's seemingly endless rules—when referees intervene, when VAR is used, and how those decisions are ultimately made. That uncertainty took center stage during one of the tournament's most talked-about moments involving USMNT forward Folarin Balogun. After Balogun received a straight red card, multiple me

Employees Must Understand How They Are Paid

Principle 1: Not All HR Issues Have a Compensation Solution Corollary 1: Never allow a compensation matter to become an employee relations issue. Corollary 2: If money can’t buy happiness, how can we expect it to create engagement and retention? Let’s face it: we’ve all seen a manager want to give an employee an increase to show how much they are valued — but only after the employee has submitted a resignation. Too often, managers reach for compensation because they hope it w