What Do Employees Really Want?

TL;DR

Foster accountability and high performance in organizations by promoting psychological ownership, a sense of obligation, and recognizing the importance of extra-milers.

Transcript

[MUSIC] An excellent organization is one where people do the right thing even when nobody's watching them over their shoulder. Because that's what makes you best in class, that's actually what makes you innovative. That's actually what's the foundation for being a place that employees love to work. So that's the hardest thing, how do you build an o... Read More

Key Insights

• 🧑‍🏭 An excellent organization is one in which employees act responsibly even in the absence of supervision or monitoring.
• 🤪 Accountability goes beyond metrics and requires a deep sense of psychological ownership and obligation.
• 😤 Allowing employees to choose their own job titles can improve their sense of identity, self-esteem, and collaboration within teams.
• ✋ There are two types of high performers: high maintenance and extra-milers, with extra-milers being the most helpful and reliable.
• 🥺 Overloading extra-milers can lead to burnout and intentions of leaving the company, so it is important to spread the workload and provide support.
• 💨 Financial incentives are not the only way to promote accountability and high performance; lightweight practices can also be effective.
• ✋ Building a culture of trust, empowerment, and shared vision is crucial for fostering accountability and high performance.

Questions & Answers

Q: How can organizations build an environment where employees act responsibly even when unsupervised?

To build such an environment, organizations need to promote psychological ownership and a sense of obligation among employees. This can be achieved by sharing the organization's vision, values, and goals, fostering a culture of trust and empowerment, and providing opportunities for employees to take ownership of their work.

Q: Is financial incentive the most effective way to promote accountability and high performance?

Instead of relying solely on financial incentives, organizations can engage in lightweight practices that promote accountability. For example, allowing employees to choose their own job titles can improve their sense of identity, self-esteem, and collaboration within teams.

Q: What are the different types of high performers within organizations?

There are two types of high performers: high maintenance and extra-milers. High maintenance performers require constant recognition and rewards, whereas extra-milers not only excel in their performance but also go above and beyond to help others. Organizations should be cautious not to overload extra-milers as it can lead to burnout and intentions of leaving the company.

Q: How can organizations prevent overwhelming their extra-milers?

Organizations can prevent overwhelming extra-milers by spreading the workload among different team members. Instead of constantly relying on extra-milers, leaders should identify and delegate tasks to other capable individuals. Additionally, providing support and resources to these individuals can help prevent burnout.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Building an organization where employees do the right thing even when unsupervised is crucial for innovation and creating a positive work environment.

• Accountability is not just about metrics, but also about fostering a sense of psychological ownership and obligation.

• Allowing employees to choose their own job titles can improve their sense of self-esteem and collaboration within teams.