Supporting employees in an organization that isn't interested in supporting them.

Here's a quandary: You have employees that are amazing. In fact, some of the most driven and intelligent people you know. They work hard, in fact, harder than they get paid for and they do a great job on the work they complete. Sounds like ideal candidates for rewards, kudos, hey, even salary increases, right? Of course I'm right. The problem is, working for a public university, an institution of higher education where bright people help improve our world, one finds it almost impossible to offer rewards to employees due to rules, regulations, and the nature of higher education and research.

I've had this problem looming over my head for the better part of five years. Great people doing excellent work, and almost no way to reward what they do. And that poses a problem. How long would you work in an environment where your work seems less-than-appreciated? How long would you keep up the good work ethic without a reasonable (more than cost-of-living) salary increase? The answer is pretty clear... not long. And who can blame someone who want to be rewarded for their hard work? I certainly can't.