9. Freedom
Now, I don't mean for everyone to get some picture in their mind of geeks lining up to see the last scene of Braveheart, but sometimes I just want to lean back and re-enact that scene in front of everyone I know. Hindering geeks' ability to use the applications they want or being able to configure their machines they way they like is not the way to go.

Give them the tools, but then motivate them by allowing them to really use them the way they can by giving them the free reign to set things up however they want. Companies try to hinder their employees so much by limiting access to things when it really just doesn't matter. If the geek can't get his job done with all the freedom given to him, then you don't want that geek working for you anyway.

This probably lines up with the control point quite a bit, but I think it's a bit separate in what's being controlled. Keep the freedom for the geek as much as possible, and they'll hesitate to look elsewhere since most places don't do this.

10. Compensation. Saved this for last, but geeks gotta live too
This one goes without saying in my opinion. It's an implied motivator. Not everyone is as motivated by money as managers think, but most of them are from what I've seen. All the other stuff definitely adds up, but compensation is generally the first and primary motivator for most. This applies less for people starting out, I think. Geeks just at the beginning of their career are more interested in what they can learn and create. Later on it's more about compensation and perks. This point could probably be an entire post in itself, so maybe I'll save that for later. For now, just know that proper compensation and benefits are a very key to motivating geeks.

That's the set of motivators I think are key to really pumping up your geeks to perform. I've seen them work, and I've seen the absence of these motivators crush morale and productivity. Please feel free to add motivators that have worked for you and your geeks. What doesn't work for you? I'm interested in hearing what others see on this subject.

If you have nothing to add, please make an exception to the corporate rule, and go forth motivating your geeks!

Robert Harbols is a typical long time Software Engineer gone Architect/Project Manager. Currently focusing more on web technologies and eCommerce environments, he continues to share his observations and lessons learned from nearly 10 years of various corporate and research environments through his blog at http://www.retrospector.com. Robert, a.k.a. the Retrospector, can be contacted at blog@retrospector.com.