I never did understand "incentive" stock options. What's the incentive, if you're "paid" up front? They can't take it back, and will it make you work harder than you already are? If you're not performing well in the first place, you should be shown the door.

I understand giving a bonus in cash or options for work already performed extraordinarily well but not as a carrot ahead of time. I would have liked it better, if they had called it a bonus or achievement based award as I think that might have been their real intent anyway.