Reward Follows Result
An exasperated Owner messaged me this week that a 19-year old had been offered an increase in responsibility - and responded with an AI-generated email that asked for a pay-rise as a condition of agreement.
A fair request?
The answer matters.
Negotiating the salary for a bigger job is perfectly reasonable. So is expecting recognition for responsibilities already being carried successfully.
My concern is the demand for an increase simply as the price of agreeing to try.
That is where ambition can become entitlement.
I would rather agree a defined development period, perhaps three months, during which the individual takes ownership of specific responsibilities and demonstrates that they can deliver the required results.
The arrangement needs to be clear from the outset: what they will own, what success looks like, what support they will receive, when the review will happen and what remuneration will follow successful completion.
Write it down. Agree it together.
The targets must be realistic and within their influence. They need sufficient time, training and authority to succeed.
And owners must keep their side of the bargain. No moving the goalposts. No extending the trial indefinitely. No vague promise that we will “look at it later”.
When the agreed results are achieved, the agreed reward follows.
That is recognition earned.
As owners and managers, we have a responsibility to establish this principle calmly and consistently. We should never allow anxiety about losing somebody to turn every development conversation into a negotiation conducted under pressure.
Paying fairly matters. Rewarding people who grow in capability and contribution matters enormously.
But a demand for more money, by itself, demonstrates neither.
Make the opportunity clear, make the agreement fair, and honour the outcome.
Reward follows result. That should be understood before the additional responsibility is accepted.
"We do not get paid by the hour, we get paid for the value we bring to the hour."
Jim Rohn
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