We frequently find that the underlying obstacle to the firm’s achieving its stated goals is the firm’s compensation system. It is commonly accepted that what gets rewarded in a firm’s compensation system is what gets done, yet in many firms the compensation system is not aligned with the behavior that firm management is seeking to encourage or promote and the goals the firm wants to achieve. We provide a thorough review and analysis of the firm’s existing compensation system and based on many years of experience, including as chairs of compensation committees, we offer approaches to modify the compensation system or process so that compensation can be used as an effective management tool.