As a leader, sometimes you just want to peek behind the curtain of our team’s thoughts and understand what drives them. You think that if you could get in their minds and understand them better, you could help them produce better results.
The key to increased productivity and engagement is tapping into your employees’ discretionary effort.
“Discretionary effort is the level of effort people could give if they wanted to, but above and beyond the minimum required.“
—Aubrey C. Daniels, Ph.D.
Here’s a secret to increasing your employees’ discretionary effort.
Every one of your employees ask themselves three questions every single day. Whether they realize it or not, they do. Their answers help them determine how much effort they will exhibit toward their job.
Do I know what is expected of me?
You are probably thinking, “of course they know what’s expected of them.”
But, here’s something to think about. What you may think your clear, you’re not always clear. Studies show that up to 50% of employees do NOT know what’s expected of them at any given time. That’s half of your team!
Just because you think you’re clear in our instructions doesn’t mean you really are. Ask good questions to help make sure your team members know what’s expected of them and what you want accomplished.
Am I good at what I’m doing?
This question requires you, as their leader, to understand whether your team member is challenged or intimidated by their job role. If they are doing a satisfactory job, but using their true talents and interests, their position may not be a strength for them. Their duties on the project may drain their energy, therefore they won’t be tapping into their discretionary effort.
If they are enthusiastic from the tasks assigned, you can bet they will be putting in discretionary effort. They feel confident they can handle any challenges or opportunities coming their way.
Are my co-workers committed to the same level of quality of work as I am?
If one team member is putting in extra effort to make sure there’s excellent quality work being done, and no one around them is matching that effort, they start to feel trapped.
This feeling will drain that person. Their level of productivity lowers to the perceived effort of the rest of the group. Over time, the quality of their work starts to wane, and they lose interest in using their discretionary effort.
Simply put, these three questions are silently asked of you, their leader, every day.
- Will you give me clear direction?
- Will you position me so I can use my strengths?
- Will you surround me with like-valued people?
When you position your employees so their strengths shine and surround them with like valued teammates, you will have excellent results. If you’re unsure how to proceed in tapping into your team’s discretionary effort, contact me to set a complimentary consultation appointment.
