[swasheck]

I agree that more recent generations advance monetarily through a series of jumps between organizations. However, I think that this quote is particularly salient to the felt need for recognition that your work is recognized and relevant and important. It's a mercenary mentality that I admit that I have and fully endorse. However, the way I parsed the conversation is that Jeffery was already being paid at levels above where he was functioning at the time. It took time for his work to be recognized as having the requisite value of his pay grade and, once that recognition was achieved, it seemed to accelerate his upward mobility within Microsoft.

I'm not trying to discount your perspective, because it's one that I have lived out and fully endorse. However, I took this quote as a nice check, or even corrective, to my default mode of operation. I think that these checks to our own personal status quos are important to our growth as human beings.