{"id":4534,"date":"2015-09-08T08:19:37","date_gmt":"2015-09-08T06:19:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mymbloo.com\/cyhrma\/zombie-employees-are-killing-your-business-and-youre-creating-them\/"},"modified":"2015-09-08T08:19:37","modified_gmt":"2015-09-08T06:19:37","slug":"zombie-employees-are-killing-your-business-and-youre-creating-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cyhrma.org\/el\/zombie-employees-are-killing-your-business-and-youre-creating-them\/","title":{"rendered":"Zombie Employees Are Killing Your Business, And You\u2019re Creating Them"},"content":{"rendered":"

by\u00a0Sue Bingham<\/strong>
\nIf going to work feels like walking onto the set of \u201cThe Walking Dead,\u201d leadership might be the cause of your office\u2019s zombie apocalypse. Emphasizing the tasks you need employees to complete \u2014 instead of the end goals \u2014 can produce that effect.
\nTraditional leaders are trained to be task-oriented. You manage, assign, track, and follow up on tasks, but this approach sucks the life out of your team members. It creates an atmosphere of drudgery, boredom, and monotony. Employees react by checking their brain at the door, waiting for orders, and doing the bare minimum.<\/p>\n

This micromanaging approach only devalues your employees and positions you as a helicopter manager. The trick to humanizing your workforce is to start treating employees like responsible adults and instilling meaning into the goals you set.<\/p>\n

\n
Here are five ways to escape that post-apocalyptic feel and breathe some life into your employees.<\/p>\n

1. Provide context<\/b>
\nWhen describing the ideal manager, Peter Drucker famously used the parable of the three stonecutters. When asked what they were doing, the first one replied, \u201cI am making a living.\u201d The second continued to hammer while saying, \u201cI am doing the best job of stonecutting in the entire country.\u201d With an inspired spark in his eyes, the third one said, \u201cI am building a cathedral.\u201d<\/p>\n

The third worker can see the broader picture. He understands that he has a role in something bigger than himself. High-performing leaders ensure that all team members know how their work contributes to overall company objectives. Acknowledging that context gives jobs meaning.<\/p>\n

You can provide context by defining the reasons a job exists. Explain what\u2019s critical about each position, how it contributes to the business and customer, and what happens if a job isn\u2019t performed correctly. These details show people how much they\u2019re valued and needed for the organization to accomplish its mission.<\/p>\n

2. Focus on responsibilities<\/b>
\nLeaders fall into task tunnel vision because they see activities as steppingstones to a desired outcome. We have meetings, make phone calls, show up to work, etc. because we want to increase profits or improve the quality of a product.<\/p>\n

Crossing off tasks on your to-do list might fill you with a sense of accomplishment, but you can slave away all day in the office and still not make a dent in your goals. A full workday often paints the illusion that you\u2019re creating value. While many activities do produce some benefit, they don\u2019t necessarily make a tangible difference for the organization. If you want specific, measurable outcomes that benefit the company, communicate the end results you want employees to accomplish, not the steps for getting there.<\/p>\n

People can figure out the details without you micromanaging them, and when they\u2019re free to do so, they tend to produce much better results. Even the requirement to work in the office can be overly restrictive for people who might work more effectively at home. Assigning and monitoring tasks limits creativity, suppresses spirits, and hampers outcomes.<\/p>\n

Express the end result you want employees to accomplish in specific and positive terms. Make them tangible so you and your employees know when they\u2019ve succeeded.<\/p>\n

3. Raise the bar<\/b>
\nA powerful way to shift the focus away from tasks and back to outcomes is by revamping job descriptions. If they\u2019re framed in terms of daily tasks, raise the bar to contain goal-oriented language.<\/p>\n

For a supervisor, the job description might read, \u201cSupervise production line operation in accordance with plan policies and procedures. Train and coach production-line employees.\u201d If you wrote it to evoke a sense of purpose, it would say, \u201cInspire and develop a highly competent team that continuously produces the highest-quality products in the most cost-effective way.\u201d<\/p>\n

You can \u2014 and should \u2014 refine these descriptions at every level. The task-oriented approach is an epidemic that permeates department lines. Even a vending machine technician\u2019s job could change from \u201cRepair and maintain various vending equipment at customer locations\u201d to \u201cMaximize revenue for both the customer and the company by preventing vending equipment breakdowns. Expand sales through the continuous search and identification of new vending locations.\u201d This goal-oriented job description acknowledges his value and fosters a sense of purpose.<\/p>\n

4. Broaden the scope<\/b>
\nBroadening the scope of jobs promotes variety and keeps people on their toes as they continuously learn and master new skills. It also creates more opportunities for employees to contribute their skill sets, which increases engagement as they find new ways to invest in the job.<\/p>\n

By broadening your job descriptions from day one, you set clear expectations for high performance and a stimulating atmosphere.
\nAlong with instilling meaning and promoting more productive and engaged employees, multi-functional jobs also:
\n– Ease the hiring process because people are more attracted to broader jobs.
\n– Allow you to do more with fewer employees because they have more robust skill sets.
\n– Reduce scheduling issues because more employees can cover more roles.
\n– Ensure training is ongoing and create a culture in which continual improvement is expected.<\/p>\n

5. Say thank you<\/b>
\nLike your mom always told you, saying thank you is the right thing to do, but research shows that it can also yield concrete benefits in the workplace.<\/p>\n

A recent study by Forbes found that organizations that regularly thanked their employees outperformed those that didn\u2019t. And according to a landmark Gallup poll, the No. 1 reason most Americans leave their jobs is because they don\u2019t feel appreciated. In fact, 65 percent of people surveyed said they got zero recognition for good work last year.<\/p>\n

Showing gratitude is a vital performance skill that few leaders exercise effectively. They often feel like they\u2019re too busy to give positive feedback, they shouldn\u2019t have to thank people for doing their job, or they should wait until a job is done perfectly before expressing gratitude.<\/p>\n

But positive recognition that rewards little steps in the right direction can promote desired behaviors.<\/p>\n

When leaders show gratitude in a meaningful way, it elevates employees\u2019 spirits, shows them they\u2019re valued and appreciated, and gives context to the hard work they do every day. But you have to do more than say \u201cgood job\u201d at the end of a hard day.<\/p>\n

To truly make people feel appreciated, be specific. Describe the action or behavior you want to reinforce, the impact of that behavior, and how it reflects the person\u2019s character. Then, say thank you. This can have a profound impact on people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n

As a leader, you can ignite a culture of gratitude that pays dividends by modeling this behavior. You don\u2019t need to invest in fancy \u201crecognition programs\u201d \u2014 you can simply start showing gratitude today.<\/p>\n

Your employees are still human underneath the vacant stares, so start treating them like it. Liberate them from the bonds of being task-oriented so they can use their creativity and become passionate about their role in the company\u2019s success. Mix in some tangible appreciation, and you\u2019ll see improvements in every way that you measure success.<\/p>\n

Source:<\/strong>\u00a0Tweak Your Biz<\/a><\/u><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by\u00a0Sue Bingham If going to work feels like walking onto the set of \u201cThe Walking Dead,\u201d leadership might be the cause of your office\u2019s zombie apocalypse. Emphasizing the tasks you need employees to complete \u2014 instead of the end goals \u2014 can produce that effect. Traditional leaders are trained to be task-oriented. You manage, assign, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3894,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4534","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-el"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyhrma.org\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4534","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyhrma.org\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyhrma.org\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyhrma.org\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyhrma.org\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4534"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyhrma.org\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4534\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyhrma.org\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3894"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyhrma.org\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4534"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyhrma.org\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4534"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyhrma.org\/el\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4534"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}