--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In most cases, no matter what it is, if…" description: "\"In most cases, no matter what it is, if you measure it and reward it, people will try to excel at it\" — Marcus Buckingham" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfa/marcus-buckingham-3878_cases_in-most-cases-no-matter-what-it-is-if-yo_430843.png" --- # In most cases, no matter what it is, if you measure it and… ![“In most cases, no matter what it is, if you measure it and reward it, people will try to excel at it” quote by Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfa/marcus-buckingham-3878_cases_in-most-cases-no-matter-what-it-is-if-yo_430843.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfa/marcus-buckingham-3878_cases_in-most-cases-no-matter-what-it-is-if-yo_430843.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfa/marcus-buckingham-3878_cases_in-most-cases-no-matter-what-it-is-if-yo_430843.png) > “In most cases, no matter what it is, if you measure it and reward it, people will try to excel at it” [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Measuring and rewarding specific outcomes drives people to focus and excel in those areas. **In simple terms:** Rewards shape behavior and performance. Key Takeaway Align incentives with goals. Themes performance motivation measurement reward systems Mood pragmatic critical Type advisory strategic When to use this quote - employee evaluation - sales targets - customer service - project management Key Concepts organizational behavior goal setting incentives Questions to Reflect On - What metrics truly matter? - How to balance measurement and creativity? A Different Perspective May cause tunnel vision, neglecting unmeasured aspects. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Reward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reward/) [Rewards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rewards/) ## Related quotes > [People who work make the world live better and to reward these people well is normal. Yet they are not the people who are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arsene-wenger/people-who-work-make-the-world-live-better-and-to-reward-these-people/) [Arsene Wenger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arsene-wenger/) > [To me, there's no greater reward than being around people you care about and can be present with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-lane/to-me-there-s-no-greater-reward-than-being-around-people-you-care/) [Diane Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-lane/) > [What you measure and reward is what you're going to get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-bethune/what-you-measure-and-reward-is-what-you-re-going-to-get/) [Gordon Bethune](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-bethune/) > [We try to reward people according to the value they create, value they create in society and for the company.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-koch/we-try-to-reward-people-according-to-the-value-they-create-value-they/) [Charles Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-koch/) > [You have to do more than just talk about work. You have to really reward the people who are out there doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-christie/you-have-to-do-more-than-just-talk-about-work-you-have-to-really/) [Chris Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-christie/) > [“Systemic processes tend to reward people for making decisions that turn out to be right—creating great resentment among the anointed, who feel themselves entitled…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/systemic-processes-tend-to-reward-people-for-making-decisions-that/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [I can tell you this, in sports or in life, if the risk is worth the reward, then people are going to still do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-smoltz/i-can-tell-you-this-in-sports-or-in-life-if-the-risk-is-worth-the/) [John Smoltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-smoltz/) > [“Don’t expect a reward for what you do, from people, rather what matters is how you walk and are valued by God”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunday-adelaja/don-t-expect-a-reward-for-what-you-do-from-people-rather-what-matters/) [Sunday Adelaja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunday-adelaja/) > [I am in favor of an idea that's been around for a number of years, which is to reward people who are willing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-satel/i-am-in-favor-of-an-idea-that-s-been-around-for-a-number-of-years/) [Sally Satel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-satel/) > [The world is not a meritocracy, as much as we may like to pretend that it is. And we have a long way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-world-is-not-a-meritocracy-as-much-as-we-may-like-to-pretend-that/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [America doesn't reward people of my age, either in day-to-day life or for their performances.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meryl-streep/america-doesn-t-reward-people-of-my-age-either-in-day-to-day-life-or/) [Meryl Streep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meryl-streep/) > [If your incentives are set up wrong - if for some reason you reward people for behavior that's actually bad for your customers or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramez-naam/if-your-incentives-are-set-up-wrong-if-for-some-reason-you-reward/) [Ramez Naam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramez-naam/) > [You can't reward people who don't want to work with more money than they would make while they were working.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-leach/you-can-t-reward-people-who-don-t-want-to-work-with-more-money-than/) [Robin Leach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-leach/) > [“Is It possible to live in such a world where everyone does what he pleases? No one is punished by God or man and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-puzo/is-it-possible-to-live-in-such-a-world-where-everyone-does-what-he/) [Mario Puzo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-puzo/) > [We reward people a lot for being rich, for being famous, for being cute, for being thin... one of the values I think we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/we-reward-people-a-lot-for-being-rich-for-being-famous-for-being-cute/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More by Marcus Buckingham > [Too many of the organizations I have observed resemble a farm in Kansas. They have lots of fences and silos as well as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/too-many-of-the-organizations-i-have-observed-resemble-a-farm-in/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [Most of my work has been in corporations, studying how you build an organization that helps people to identify and work to their strengths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/most-of-my-work-has-been-in-corporations-studying-how-you-build-an/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [You can find energizing moments in each aspect of your life, but to do so you must learn how to catch them, hold on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/you-can-find-energizing-moments-in-each-aspect-of-your-life-but-to-do/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [“The power of skills and knowledge is that they are transferable from one person to another. Their limitation is that they are often situation-specific…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/the-power-of-skills-and-knowledge-is-that-they-are-transferable-from/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [We're all filled with naturally recurring patterns that make us unique - they're called talents. And our charge is to bloody well use them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/we-re-all-filled-with-naturally-recurring-patterns-that-make-us/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [Clarity is the answer to anxiety. Effective leaders are clear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/clarity-is-the-answer-to-anxiety-effective-leaders-are-clear/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [The corporate world is appallingly bad at capitalizing on the strengths of its people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/the-corporate-world-is-appallingly-bad-at-capitalizing-on-the/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [If you want execution, hail only success. If you want creativity, hail risk, and remain neutral about success.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/if-you-want-execution-hail-only-success-if-you-want-creativity-hail/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [Emphasize your strengths on your resume, in your cover letters and in your interviews. It may sound obvious, but you'd be surprised how many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/emphasize-your-strengths-on-your-resume-in-your-cover-letters-and-in/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [Life's tricky for women because they have to make more choices than men. And yes, choice is good, but boy, you better be an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/life-s-tricky-for-women-because-they-have-to-make-more-choices-than/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [Companies don't have one culture. They have as many as they have supervisors or managers. You want to build a strong culture? Hold every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/companies-don-t-have-one-culture-they-have-as-many-as-they-have/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [Every time you make a rule you take away a choice, and choice, with all of its illuminating repercussions, is the fuel for learning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/every-time-you-make-a-rule-you-take-away-a-choice-and-choice-with-all/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [“to encourage people to take responsibility for who they really are. And it is the only way to show respect for each person. Focusing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/to-encourage-people-to-take-responsibility-for-who-they-really-are/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [There is no shortage of mechanisms by which to measure almost anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/there-is-no-shortage-of-mechanisms-by-which-to-measure-almost-anything/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) > [Freedom, individualism, authenticity and being yourself so long as you don't hurt another's physical person or property: Sustained success comes only when you take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/freedom-individualism-authenticity-and-being-yourself-so-long-as-you/) [Marcus Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) [Explore all 119 Marcus Buckingham quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/) ## More Cases quotes > [The time that one gains cannot be accumulated in a storehouse; it is contradictory to want to save up existence, which, the fact is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-de-beauvoir/the-time-that-one-gains-cannot-be-accumulated-in-a-storehouse-it-is/) [Simone de Beauvoir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-de-beauvoir/) > [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/) [Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/) > [I'd always have grease in at least two places, in case the umpires would ask me to wipe one off. 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There's a case of someone ruining a generation of saxophonists, as Louis Armstrong may have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-bley/i-think-we-ve-all-had-enough-of-coltrane-saxophonists-there-s-a-case/) [Paul Bley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-bley/) > [Every wife ought to answer for her man. If the husband be engaged in a seditious club, or drinks mysterious healths, or be frugal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-addison/every-wife-ought-to-answer-for-her-man-if-the-husband-be-engaged-in-a/) [Joseph Addison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-addison/) > [The world around us is an increasingly hostile and sinful place. Occasionally that splashes onto us, and perhaps, in the case of a few…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-r-holland/the-world-around-us-is-an-increasingly-hostile-and-sinful-place/) [Jeffrey R. 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That is to say, they could read their e-mails. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-wilkerson/the-cheney-team-had-for-example-technological-supremacy-over-the/) [Lawrence Wilkerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-wilkerson/) > [If you want good behavior, don't pay on a commission basis. Our judges aren't paid so much a case. We keep them pretty well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-munger/if-you-want-good-behavior-don-t-pay-on-a-commission-basis-our-judges/) [Charlie Munger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-munger/) Browse all 6,420 Cases quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In most cases, no matter what it is, if you measure it and reward it, people will try to excel at it", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Marcus Buckingham" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/in-most-cases-no-matter-what-it-is-if-you-measure-it-and-reward-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Cases" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/in-most-cases-no-matter-what-it-is-if-you-measure-it-and-reward-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfa/marcus-buckingham-3878_cases_in-most-cases-no-matter-what-it-is-if-yo_430843.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfa/marcus-buckingham-3878_cases_in-most-cases-no-matter-what-it-is-if-yo_430843.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dfa/marcus-buckingham-3878_cases_in-most-cases-no-matter-what-it-is-if-yo_430843.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In most cases, no matter what it is, if you measure it and reward it, people will try to excel at it” — Marcus Buckingham", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Marcus Buckingham", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-buckingham/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In most cases, no matter what...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/in-most-cases-no-matter-what-it-is-if-you-measure-it-and-reward-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-buckingham/in-most-cases-no-matter-what-it-is-if-you-measure-it-and-reward-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```