Larry was a mid- to senior-level employee at Overlook, a technology company.

(Names have been changed.) I began to work with him while he was running a project to bring Overlook's newest technology tool to the marketplace.

Despite a number of obstacles, some of which came from inside Overlook, Larry delivered the product on time and pretty much on budget. He received a solid bonus that year.

Which is why I was surprised when he told me he was leaving Overlook because of the bonus. It was the last straw, he told me. And it wasn't the size of the bonus that bothered him; he agreed it was reasonable. It was how he received it.

Follow the link below to ead the entire article:

http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/bregman/2009/12/20-seconds-to-giving-a-better.html

Peter Bregman speaks, writes, and consults about how to lead and how to live. He is the CEO of Bregman Partners, Inc., a global management consulting firm, and advises CEOs and their leadership teams. He is the author of Point B: A Short Guide To Leading a Big Change.

You can sign up to be notified when he writes a new post or email him at pbregman@bregmanpartners.com