Use rewards like medicine, only for the right tasks and dose

Rewards aren’t villains. They’re tools. The trouble starts when we use a hammer on a screw. If the task is routine—matching addresses, assembling kits, copying code patterns—an if‑then nudge can lift speed without harming creativity that’s not needed there. But flip to novel problems and the same nudge narrows vision, like trying to read with blinders on. People chase the prize and stop scanning the edges where breakthroughs live.

A careful workaround is to design around people’s need for autonomy. Before offering anything, define whether the work is dull or demanding. For dull work, explain why it matters: “This data cleanup lets us trust our analysis for next month’s decision.” Acknowledge it’s boring. That simple act of empathy lowers resistance. Then, give control over how to get to the outcome. People do tedious things with less friction when they can choose the path.

After delivery, an unexpected thank‑you lands well. It says, “I see your effort,” not “I controlled your effort.” A short message, a team shout‑out, or a small gift card can reset the emotional equation without shifting motivation to a permanent reward-seeking track.

Think of rewards as short-term accelerants with long-term side effects. Use them carefully for the right work, buffer them with meaning and choice, and keep appreciation separate from control. That way you speed up the right tasks without slowing down the ones that need imagination.

Before you offer anything, check the task: if it’s routine, give a clear outcome, share why it matters, admit the boring parts, and let people decide tools and timing. Then, after the job is done, offer a sincere, unexpected thank‑you so the recognition doesn’t become the reason to start. For creative work, skip contingencies completely and lean on autonomy and specific feedback. Treat rewards as short bursts of fuel, not the engine. Try this on your next two projects and compare the feel and the results.