Capturing Employees’ Discretionary Effort

We all have good days and bad days.  A bad day is when you show up, and try to stay under the radar.  A great day is when you push your accomplishments to new heights, and seem to do so effortlessly.  The difference between the two is discretionary effort.  Join us at Wily Manager this week when we discuss why managers should care about discretionary effort, and how they can capture it from their people.

Monday’s Tip: Do the basics well. Don’t install a hot tub in the employee lounge until you are leading and managing people well.  Otherwise, the hot tub is a waste of money.

Tuesday’s Tip: Do not treat it as a task. Capturing discretionary effort is a way to run your business that will never end.  Do not think it is a task you can tick off on your to do list.

Wednesday’s Tip: Create Opportunities for Improvement. It may be training, or it could be a stretch assignment.  Whatever it is, you need to help people expand their skill set, and improve themselves.

Thursday’s Tip: Connect people to the larger picture. No one wants to be an anonymous cog in a huge wheel.  Tell people how their efforts matter to the larger organization, or connect them to something bigger than themselves.

Friday’s Tip: Encourage social networks at work. Most people spend more waking hours with their coworkers than their families.  If people can feel connected to those people they spend so much time with, they are much more likely to be engaged.