Compensation and Incentives

Compensation is often what drives us to complete our tasks, responsibilties, and objectives we set for oursleves. Whether that is making more sales than everyone else to gte the highest bonus, picking the best school for your children to get the best education, or even choosing the most ripe avocados to make the best possible guacamole for dinner. Incentives are the potential reward that is offered to us which drives us to complete our duty. These rewards exist in everything we do, from choosing the best job to looking both ways before you cross the street, the incentive there is not getting killed by oncoming traffic. Rewards don’t just have to be extrinsic such as money or physical things you can see and touch, but often times the more powerful incentives are the intrinsic ones that we can feel. Such as being a good husband or wife so that you may feel their love in return, or doing such a good job on a team report that everyone spends all day complimenting you on how well you did.

One personal experience I have with being compensated has to do with my choice to work at Hana sushi this past year. In the beginning I ws applying to many different jobs, getting accepted and invited into interviews for quite a few. It wasn’t until I got to the sushi place that I was given the option to work there and take home free sushi at the end of the day. This was my compensation for working hard to serve food and make people drinks all day, which allowed me to get free dinner every night I worked. Not only wa sthis a regular dinner but sushi is my favorite food and after they told me I could take home at least a full box of sushi every night I instantly agreed to work there. I was consumed by the tempation of incentives which made all the difference in my decision of where to work. Compensation is a powerful thing that can entice people to do things knowing that reward will be coming their way shortly after.