Yes, and in addition to money, people need more challenges and opportunities. The problem is that when people get good at something, particularly people in technical roles, they either get marooned doing what they are good at or get promoted to managerial positions for which they have no training or particular skill. The challenge for companies is to keep giving people opportunities, stretching their capabilities, and letting them experiment with new career possibilities. It’s an incremental process, and once a person grasps onto something they are excited about, create an opening for them to run with that.

I took that approach with my own career, but then the door was slammed shut when the company was sold. Like many others, I took the severance money and ran.