carrot and stick
📖 generalMeaning
A policy of offering a combination of rewards (carrot) and punishments (stick) to induce a desired behavior.
Literal Meaning
A method of motivating a donkey by dangling a carrot in front of it (reward) and threatening it with a stick (punishment).
Example
“The manager tried a carrot and stick approach to improve productivity: bonuses for hitting targets and warnings for missing them.”