I don't really have a good solution to this but it's really messed up.
The incentive problem started when it became better to change jobs for higher compensation. Working less intensely for the same pay while you secretly manage life problems or just play around is also appealing. Your earnings are also typically soft capped as an individual hard worker. And then there's no real security to back you up even if you decide to get invested - you can still be let go for no fault of your own.
The economy can't keep asking people to stay in these kinds of jobs while also eroding their standard of living at their mostly-static income levels. It's too easy to feel like a sucker being a hard worker and this is a recent cultural shift (within the last two decades IMO).
My first job was in an office. I became friends with someone who I’ll say mastered the “art of not working”. He was always the first one in, the last one out. When decisions needed to be made, he was the one people would consult with. However, he never did any meaningful work. It’s not like he was a people manager. He wasn’t. He was a developer. But he never developed anything. He just appeared to. That appearance of work gave him job security, raises, and eventually more power within the company. It truly was an art form as I don’t think any company would have noticed. That’s how good he was.
Sounds like a useful employee. Maybe not rushing around constantly allowed him time to actually think through problems.
Also, it’s not that he wasn’t running around. That’s actually my point. If running around and looking busy is what it took, he’d do that. Essentially he did everything he could to give the appearance of working.
Now that I’ve been in the industry for over a decade, I can say it’s a pretty common type of character. They’re usually the ones that get promoted.
”The primary thing when you take a sword in your hands is your intention to cut the enemy, whatever the means. Whenever you parry, hit, spring, strike or touch the enemy's cutting sword, you must cut the enemy in the same movement. It is essential to attain this. If you think only of hitting, springing, striking or touching the enemy, you will not be able actually to cut him."
Miyamoto Musashi, The Book Of Five Rings
That idea is also said as: "the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing". It's been a difficult thing to do in my life, and I get it when other people get distracted, as I often do myself. And, very often I need to just go along with distractions in order to accomplish things. In practice, it's not an easy skill.
I agree. Seems like an internal motivation thing. Not saying it's easy, simple, or in some instances even possible. But gotta want to do it for your own reasons when the external incentives (optics that lead to staying hired or getting promoted or building a reliable & professional reputation, and staving off the flip-sides as well) aren't there anymore.
As things stand, my incentives are to appear busy to my boss and otherwise do as little as possible. If I achieve something, there should be cash money in my pocket above having done nothing.
Currently, my incentive is to be overemployed and figure out how to seem just above mediocre. Key word being "seem." I am very dedicated to doing as little work as possible to allow for more overemployment.
Tackling a hard problem has the same pay as spending all day "consulting stakeholders" and getting bogged down in Scrum process.
There is cash money in your pocket in advance, so you do something. That's what a salary is. The problem lies with the company not firing you and instead focusing on folks who actually do work.