What Ever Happened to Going the Extra Mile?

Among the most difficult challenges of owning or managing a business –large or small – is the motivation of employees. We as business owners and managers spend all this time planning, organizing, structuring, and teaching, in order to achieve our goals for our businesses. But if the employee is not motivated enough to implement our grand plans… if neither the potential for raises or threat of reprimands work, then what?

When I was an employee and the boss gave me a task to do, I would tackle it with all of the energy and skill that I could muster up. And if I saw another task along the way that needed to be done – and I could accomplish it without jeopardizing the successful and on time completion of the original task – then I would do that one too. Unfortunately, I have discovered that in this new generation of employees, that kind of motivation has become few and far between.

If employees are lazy, talk back, don’t complete the work assigned, or continuously goof up, then get rid of them after the proper verbal and written warnings. But what do you do with the employee that only does the work assigned and nothing else? Or an employee that works acceptably when directly supervised, but stands around when there is no direct supervision?

Both of these types of employees may simply be lazy but are better at hiding it than others. But it could also be that these employees simply do not have the confidence to take on an unassigned task or continue working without direct supervision. Maybe they were unfortunate enough to have lived with parents who were always putting them down. Or she was the girl that never got asked to dance… or he was the guy that never got picked for the sports team at recess.

At any rate, before you let them go and completely lose the investment of time and money you spent training and educating these individuals, there are a couple of things you might try first. Reassure them that you believe they possess the talent and ability not only to accomplish assigned tasks, but those unassigned as well. And make sure you give them clear parameters as to the additional tasks they would be authorized to perform. Once completed, praise them for going the extra mile. And if they are physically fit, ask them to be on your company soccer team!

– José Robles, owner, Landscape Warehouse