Getting Good Employees To Produce Great Work
Employees enjoy hearing praise from their leaders, and those who are recognized are more likely to be productive and satisfied at work. According to Gallup’s research, “Only 41% of employees strongly agree that they know what their company stands for and what makes it different from competitors.”
A concern that I find leaders and companies often struggle with is how to enable their employees to produce good work. Great companies produce great work. Their leaders select people who focus on making the right actions that will achieve goals and produce results.
American writer and philosopher Elbert Hubbard once wrote, “The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today.” Every day provides an opportunity to do good work. However, many people waste their days at work producing nothing of value, therefore missing out on opportunities to leave a legacy.
1. Some people think that their work is not important.
When an employee believes this, this is an attitude of avoidance that must be redirected.
Many people get used to doing the same tasks repeatedly. They never look beyond their current reality to see the possibilities of other work they could complete. It is the employee’s responsibility to learn the “why” behind the tasks they are to accomplish.
Leaders can help encourage this by constantly reminding the team of the overall mission of the organization and by sharing success stories from customers when the team delivered above expectations. These steps can remind everyone about the value of their work in the organization.
2. Some people feel they are too important to do the work.
When an employee believes this, this is an attitude of arrogance, and this must be corrected.
Many people are hired to do tasks, but some may feel they are too important to do the work that others in the organization could perform. These individuals become “silo thinkers,” which is contrary to an organization’s need for everyone to be involved and engaged.
The attitude of a great worker is to do their best with the work in front of them. Leaders should encourage people to express why other team members are important and seek to find opportunities where people can work on cross-departmental teams to enhance relationships and knowledge of others outside of their own area.
3. Some people feel like they have more important work to do.
When an employee believes this, this is an attitude of ambition, and this must be tamed.
Some workers don’t complete a particular task because they feel they have more important work to finish. But sometimes, the best work is the perfection of a simple task. In an organization, all work is important work. Writer Laura Ingalls Wilder has been credited with saying “Every job is good if you do your best and work hard. A man who works hard stinks only to the ones that have nothing to do but smell.”
Leaders must elevate clarity to the team to communicate the areas of high priority to the organization. This will release high performers to work in areas that are mission critical and discourage team members from only working on the tasks that they feel are the most critical.
4. Some people feel like they know better regarding what work is essential.
When an employee believes this, this is an attitude of authority, and this must be managed.
These employees have a disconnect between the leadership and the leader’s perspective. These workers may think they know better than the leader when it comes to what needs to be done, and they may believe the leader is wrong to place a higher value on some work than what the employees feel should take priority. These individuals often wrestle with who is in charge.
In every organization, the task of the leader is of utmost importance. The leader sets the agenda and communicates the value of work. Every organization needs to be clear about the most crucial tasks of serving customers and producing results.
One successful activity that many leaders practice is asking each person on the team to list the most important aspect of their job or their performance. The leader should make a list of every answer and then communicate the absolute top responsibility for that department or organization. The leader must strive for clarity in order for team members to have clarity about their responsibilities and performance expectations.
Every great organization produces great work. As legendary English poet, essayist and literary historian Samuel Johnson has been credited with saying, “Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.” Every job and task have the potential to produce great work. The leader and the employees must take responsibility to find the right perspective to accomplish great work.
Originally published at www.forbes.com on November 29, 2018.
