Keeping the critical second-tier management motivated is especially important for PR firms, as these executives typically have front-line responsibility for maintaining important client relationships. Moreover, a business will enhance its value – if it wishes to position itself for a possible future sale – by assuring that second-tier management is appropriately compensated and, thus, likely to remain in place following an ownership change.

One way of keeping key employees properly motivated is to foster a sense of ownership in the business. Perhaps the ...