I wish I could take credit for the title, but I read it in a good blog piece on employee-of-the-month programs. One of the things I liked about it was that the author gathered some information and came to a decision that was based on what was best for his business and just didn’t blindly follow advice in a book. The books that live at the intersection of business and psychology can be filled with silly and unsupported ideas to say the least. It was good to see someone take a rationale approach to a problem.
In the past I’ve written about employee rewards and I think the article above basically covers those points. But what it really highlights is when doing something is worse than doing nothing. The decision to stay put is rarely a popular one. It implies that the status quo is OK and, well, if you’re not doing something, what are you being paid for?
Doing what appears to be nothing can frequently avoid unintended, but likely, consequences. When you make this decision, be sure to explain what those outcomes would be and why they would occur. This doesn’t only show others that you were doing something (gathering data and drawing conclusions). It also gets them thinking about alternatives that will not have the same negative consequences. “No” can sometimes be the answer to the process rather than the idea.
It is important that we always look to improve and challenge assumptions. That’s how businesses become more profitable and employees have a better experience at work. At the same time, there should always be an adult in the room that can say staying put is our best plan.
For more information on leadership, performance and employee engagement, please contact Warren at 310 670-4175 or warren@allaboutperformance.biz