Everyone wants Masters on their project and they need to have novices as having team of only Masters is not realistic.

Christopher Alexander writes an insightful perspective in his Pattern Language book on what is a master vs. novice.

•The difference between the novice and the master is simply that the novice has not learnt, yet, how to do things in such a way that he can afford to make small mistakes.
•The master knows that the sequence of his actions will always allow him to cover his mistakes a little further down the line.
•It is this simple but essential knowledge which gives the work of a master carpenter its wonderful, smooth, relaxed, and almost unconcerned simplicity.

Another way to look what a master is the story of three stone cutters popularized by Peter Drucker.

A man came across three stonecutters and asked them what they were doing. The first replied, “I am making a living.” The second kept on hammering while he said, “I am doing the best job of stonecutting in the entire county.” The third looked up with a visionary gleam in his eye and said, “I am building a cathedral.”

The master is 2nd or 3rd stonecutter. The 1st stone cutter is what happens all too often as the system is focused on the money paid for work.

We have all seen the first man, he’s there to make a few bucks, and may be the easiest to motivate because he is so obvious with what drives him. He won’t waste time on something that he won’t get paid for and can be highly productive. However, he can be a mercenary and have little loyalty or connection to your purpose.

As projects get bigger and more complex money as incentive to work shows its limits as the number of people who game the system to maximize money over power those who are like the 2nd and 3rd stonecutters.

What if the 1st stonecutter said “I am making a living as a novice and aspire to be a master and be a valued member in the team.”