Are Incentives Really A Good Thing?

Incentives, in my opinion, cloud the goal in today's business world. Although they are meant to drive business upward and motivate employees to work harder to reach a set goal incentives cause people to cut corners and in turn cause less efficient work to be produced. The business world, much like the everyday world, has become greedy and money focused. Yes, I agree making money is key but no at the expense of quality work and customer satisfaction. When you are employed by a company that is your team and you all should be working towards a similar goal, not under handing one another in order to get your promised "bonus". I am not saying incentives never work but they should not be what causes employees to come to work everyday. Incentives, to me, are rewards for quality work and are not supposed to be the focus of your job. Businesses should reevaluate the entire system of incentives and look for alternatives so they are not the main focus of the company and the people who work for them. One possible way to achieve the desired result is to offer incentives only after the target has been met. Surprise your employees and reward them for their good work only after you have seen the finished product. This will cause them to focus on performing well and can make for better, more efficient business.