Your Business | Voices give above and beyond the minimum required. This doesn’t mean more time spent working, but rather more engagement during their working time. It might mean asking better questions during a discovery call, seeking out referrals for new business, writing personal thank-you notes or getting quotes out quickly. Because discretionary effort is strongly correlated to employee engagement, it is another benefit to any leader who makes a conscious decision to grow the job joy of their teams. Creating joy at work doesn’t require a massive overhaul. It can happen with simple actions every day. Here are a few do’s and don’ts to help you inspire job joy in your team. Communicate On Purpose What doesn’t work? • Mass communication about important topics that isn’t preceded by personal conversations from leaders. This is especially true for the people directly impacted by the news you are sharing. • Low or poor communication in general. If you aren’t talking with your teams regularly, too much is left up to speculation and assumptions, which is rarely positive. What works? • Being transparent and honest. When your team understands the why behind a decision – or better yet, helped you make it – they will be more confident and engaged. • Share information intentionally. Before you shoot off a quick note on messaging platform, ask a few questions. Does my team need to act on this information immediately? If yes, that quick message is probably a good choice. Will my team need to find this information again later? If yes, you might want to consider an email instead. Is this topic complicated or requiring more conversation? If yes, consider holding off until your next team meeting. Provide Real Balance What doesn’t work? • Work hard, play hard. It is impossible to give 100% to everything. Extended effort toward this impossible platitude creates burnout. PPAI • JULY 2023 • 31
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