icelava.net

While reading one of Joel Spolsky's old entries about what strategies not to decide on when producing software, I came across another reference:

For Best Results, Forget the Bonus

Absolutely interesting. While I have never really placed a finger on this issue hard enough to give it considerable contemplation, it does ring various bells of truth within my own system - material and financial rewards are very seldom the object of my desires when it comes to working and accomplishing tasks.

It may also be interesting to note that Dale Carnegie encourages rewards over punishment when it comes to making people like you better (and in effect working for you better). Of course, not to say that showing sincere appreciation for the efforts of others is to be discouraged. Please don't be an ingrate.

The point that is highlighted very clearly in the article is that true motivation to perform excellently in jobs is rarely a monetary concern. Yes, you may ask whether David Beckham would still play football if his salary was not rated at PPM (pounds per minute), and I can safely say "yes" (but no guarantee since I am not him). It is first and foremost a rudimentary love for playing football that brings him up to that level in the first place. Ask him to play basketball or cricket with equally high rewards and you are likely to get a rejection.

Indeed, it is the content of the work. I drive alot of satisfication being able to achieve objectives and goals in the longer run, and more so if done with a group of capable peers who contributed equally to the effort. My work has to be satisfying in itself, not the end-remuneration. High monetary returns are really just that - a bonus. Otherwise, I would simply be a drug dealer.

What are your motivations?

An alternative discussion with fellow Singapore .NET professionals has commenced here.

My motivation is to produce enough good games that would enable my company to stay comfortably profitable, but i'm alone in this thinking in my current company as only another programmer shares my point of view. The rest of the guys/gals have the employee mindset, they only produce the amount of work that equates to the salary paid. I asked an artist to produce original mecha concept art that would help to distinguish one of our upcoming mobile games and he told me that he could not do it due to
1)All original mecha concepts having been done 20 years ago( I debunked this by mentioning Evangelion and the Eva mechas)
2)It would take a long time and even then, there is no promise that he could come up with something creative.

Well,first time i've heard an artist mention that he is not creative enough to come up with something original. I guess the low pay must be bugging him to quite an extent to refuse the challenge or even attempt it.

Gibby wrote:

but i'm alone in this thinking in my current company as only another programmer shares my point of view.

So are you alone or not?

1)All original mecha concepts having been done 20 years ago( I debunked this by mentioning Evangelion and the Eva mechas)

I need not say any more than quote another:

Charles H. Duell, Commissioner, U.S. Patent Office, 1899 wrote:

Everything that can be invented has been invented.

Ok lah, to clarify things up,only the programmers feel the same way as me. The artists are different, it's more of the "You pay me XXX amount of money,i give you XXX amount of output.No more,got less". I guess i was sorely mistaken that all artists are creative with creative juices oozing out of their ears.

Begs the question: are the artists really capable of better works of beauty? Or, while I know quite possibly no way the designers from Apple will join your company any time soon, merely hiding behind the guise of underpayment?

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An article relevant to the thread topic i came across from SQLServerCentral.com newsletter.

icelava wrote:

Begs the question: are the artists <i>really</i> capable of better works of beauty? Or, while I know quite possibly no way the designers from Apple will join your company any time soon, merely hiding behind the guise of underpayment?<br /> <br /> **********<br /> <br /> An <a href="http://www.sqlservercentral.com/columnists/sjones/employeeretention.asp">article</a> relevant to the thread topic i came across from SQLServerCentral.com newsletter.<br />

If i was an artist,i would adopt a contrarian mindset.I would produce the most creative work i can so that i can place it in my portfolio, low pay or not.

I continue to find essays and assertions by others that the key to achieving high-quality work, especially in the realm of software development, does not spring from cash. Software development is a highly abstract activity, and thereby demands a great deal of thinking and managing a complex web of issues and parameters. When developers go about building software, there really isn't much room for them to ponder and contemplate, "ooohh, I will $500 more and a FREE buffer lunch if we finish this on time and without defect! Yes! You can bet my two socks I'll get it done!"

Monetary rewards is probably the last thing developers think about. In any real-world project of substantial size and complexity, what's likely on their minds are when they can finally take a break for a meal, or goto bed.

The phrase that pops out quite often regarding this is called Intrinsic Motivation. It is an interesting psychological peek into what drives people to do things and achieve. Of course, that is not to state money has absolutely no place in this respect. It has a role (we need to eat and have a roof over our heads after all), but it is never the major slice of the pie. And keeping that fine balance between compensation and motivation is extremely tough indeed.