Do your people ‘go the extra mile’ to help
your business succeed?
Going the extra mile can also be called displaying ‘discretionary effort’. So, what is 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.
There are five factors that drive discretionary effort
- A good fit between the job and what the employee finds fulfilling?
- Does their job description accurately reflect their day-to-day duties?
- A good relationship between the manager and the employee. Does the manager tailor their leadership accordingly?
- The employee’s role in the team. Does the employee feel safe to share ideas and voice unpopular opinions? Do they positively impact team dynamics?
- A cultural fit. Does the employee feel emotionally connected to the company culture? Do they feel valued by the organisation?
The more of the above in place, the more motivated the employee will be, not just to do the minimum required, but to display discretionary effort, because they want to, to contribute to the organisation’s success. Discretionary effort makes a big difference to the organisation’s performance.
Do your leaders know how important communicating the mission and strategy is?
The organisation’s leaders play a critical role in driving engagement and discretionary effort.
According to author and speaker Simon Sinek, employees give the most effort when they understand the “why” behind their organization—its mission.
It’s senior leadership’s top priority to make sure their organisation’s mission and strategy is understood across the
whole organisation—not just at the top. This lack of alignment can result in:
- Conflicting goals
- Tribal and clique behaviours
- Employee frustration
- Lower productivity
More discretionary efforts mean better results.
Creating an ideal working environment takes time and effort. But the extra work will pay off in the long term—when your team members start going that extra mile for the organisation.
By addressing the four factors above, making sure employees are clear on what the company mission and strategy are, and when employees believe in them, this is when leaders can get the most out of their people.
Enjoy this blog? Check out our blog ‘What are High Performance Working Practices’ by clicking the following link: https://cobalt-hr.co.uk/what-are-high-performance-working-practices/