Your carrot is not my carrot

You might be encouraging your team to work harder by promising them higher salary, provided they show results. Some managers promise better growth while others promise lesser work pressure in future. But when a manager offers something, he is showing the carrot which is a carrot to the manager.


You promise promotion, your team might be looking for frequent appreciations.
You are offering better hike but team members might be seeking better work culture.
You are offering stability however a team member might be seeking new challenges outside current domain.
You might be offering daily challenges but team might want to specialize in one particular focus area.


People promise for things that they like. This carrot approach is botched up in nearly all the appraisals system in nearly all the companies. Companies define a framework for its people and decide what the carrot is. Appraisal frameworks generalize the things but carrot is highly specific to an individual.


Same applies to products and services you are offering.
Your product is class apart functionally but your customers might be more inclined towards its exterior looks. Your product is good for showoff but your customers might love a more economical product. You give some service economically but you customers might be more interested in easy availability.


Find carrot of the person you are talking to and then talk in terms of that carrot.