Scientific Definition
Sales forecasts under-set to ensure attainment bonus.
Plain-English Definition
Sales forecasts under-set to ensure attainment bonus.
Feynman Explanation
Predict the easy number. Beat the easy number. Get paid.
Core Principle
Sales forecasts under-set to ensure attainment bonus.
Mechanisms
Pending editorial review.
Sales forecasts under-set to ensure attainment bonus.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Forecast quality degraded by comp design.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Inputs (Triggers)
Pending editorial review.
Outputs (Behaviors)
Pending editorial review.
Behavioral Signature
Predict the easy number. Beat the easy number. Get paid.
Examples
- Pipeline forecasting across nearly every salesforce.
- Forecast quality degraded by comp design.
Pending editorial review.
Famous Experiments
Pending editorial review.
Design Principles
- Decouple forecast accuracy from quota attainment in comp.
Measurement Approaches
Pending editorial review.
Evidence
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
The Perverse Incentive Lens™
How this behavior is exploited — and how to redesign around it.
- Decouple forecast accuracy from quota attainment in comp.
Pending editorial review.
Pending editorial review.
Interactive Mini Network
Click any neighbor to re-center the graph and follow the threads of connection.
Knowledge Graph Neighbors
Auto-linked to the rest of the Human Behavior Taxonomy by family, domain, dimension, and shared keywords.
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Funnels rewarded for new logos under-invest in retention and lifetime value.
Cuts that lift margin this quarter erode product quality and brand equity over years.
Narrowly tied bonuses get gamed; people optimize the metric, not the underlying goal.
Re-hires often get raises larger than internal promotions.
Pay tied to stock price encourages short-term price management.
CEO pay tied to size rewards deal-making even when acquisitions destroy value.
Capital tied to growth rates funds unsustainable scaling and unit-economics denial.
Managers measured by team size grow teams beyond need.
Awards reward visible novelty; quiet excellence goes unrecognized.
Innovation programs designed to signal innovation, not to produce it.
Managers hoard talent; cross-team mobility dies.