It’s no secret that a company’s success relies on top performance from its employees and their positive habits at work. With hierarchical structures and performance reviews, companies monitor and evaluate how their employees are performing. Often times, managers are tasked with motivating their supervisees and driving performance. However, elevating performance relies on much more than these external motivations. In fact, employees motivated by intrinsic factors are more likely to excel in creativity, productivity, and overall performance.
Why do we see performance standing still in the first place?
Lack of structure
Though it may appear that long work days and overtime hours are a display of effort and investment, they are likely to be the result of unstructured work days and poor focus. Simply putting time into a project is not enough…it is the quality of time spent that really makes a difference. Work days that are unstructured and lack clear goals tend to lead to distraction and uncertainty. The result is wasted time and hindered performance.
Lack of focus
Not only does lack of focus on schedule come into play, but lack of focus on purpose also hinders performance. When employees are unclear about the broader purpose of their work and of the company, their ability to optimally perform is jeopardized. Detailing clear goals and intentions provides employees with clarity, improving focus and performance.
Lack of confidence
Employees who are unsure of their work, abilities, and goals, tend to have lower levels of confidence and mood. Employees who lack confidence also tend to fret over failure. Although some degree of concern can promote attention to detail, general fear of failure stifles innovation and hinders growth. Promoting employees to be confident in their ideas and goals inspires creativity and fuels improvement.
So, how do we improve performance?
In order to promote lasting and effective performance growth, we must inspire employees from within. Rather than relying solely on managers to motivate and monitor employees, we should drive employees to want to improve for themselves. But how do we do this? By fostering key habitual behaviors we can create more self-aware, focused, and intrinsically motivated individuals.
Goal setting
People who write down goals for themselves have been shown to be significantly more successful in their endeavors than their non-goal writing counterparts. Clear, measurable goals provide employees with focus and guidance and create an intrinsic system of accountability.
Self motivation
Building habitual self-motivation drives employees to improve out of their own personal desire. This form of motivation is far more reliable than external motivations because it functions solely within the individual. Self-motivation does not depend on wavering external factors and persists independently of circumstance.
Purpose focus
What’s the point? Employees should always be able to answer this question. Whether it’s a small scale task or a broad company movement, employees should know the purpose of their work. Building the habit of figuring out why creates employees who are more self-aware, focused, and driven.
Productive breaks
Though sitting uninterrupted for a straight eight-hour workday may seem like a valiant effort in productivity, a no break workday does more harm than good. People who take breaks throughout the day have been shown to be more productive in shorter periods of time and less prone to distraction. Getting in the habit of recognizing energy dips and focus lapses allows people to take strategic breaks that refresh the mind and elevate productivity.
Feedback
Not all feedback is quality feedback. The standard employee reviews and company reviews, filled with broad questions and scaled ratings, have been shown to be relatively ineffective. However, detailed and specific feedback is beneficial for both parties involved. Engaging in feedback sessions promotes learning and understanding and provides employees with fresh perspectives on how to elevate their performance. Furthermore, frequent self-reflection and feedback can produce greater self-awareness and, in turn, fuel performance.
Disaster control
It’s natural to have waves of distraction. Rather than succumbing to these challenges, employees should be encouraged to plan ahead. By recognizing one’s personal triggers for distraction or common energy zapping tasks, employees can create disaster control plans for how to best handle these inevitable challenges. Getting in the habit of responding purposefully to distraction can greatly improve workflow and performance.
