In this episode of The Messy Middle Matters, Indra and Amanda unpack a workplace tension that’s all too familiar: what happens when incentives, outputs, and motivation aren’t aligned.
They begin by defining key terms: intrinsic incentives (such as purpose or pride), extrinsic incentives (like pay or praise), and outputs (the tangible results of one's work). Then, they dive into two primary sources of misalignment:

Conflicting incentives between teams, crafts, or departments

Leadership messages that don’t match real decisions or rewards

With real-life examples, they explore the awkward dynamics that arise when your motivation doesn't match the system you're working in. Whether it's security versus speed, innovation versus client demands, or personal growth versus team goals, misalignment can erode culture, trust, and progress.
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