| Memo: Quality at Work
Edition: Final
Considerable effort and energy is spent on trying
to identify and eliminate the barriers to employee
motivation. Organizations that are institutionalizing
quality as a business strategy are having more
success with this endeavor than others.
Quality practitioners recognize that there is
a dimension pertaining to employee efforts that
money can't buy. Frederick W. Smith, chairman
and chief executive officer at Federal Express,
refers to this dimension as the domain of ''discretionary
efforts.'' These efforts are strictly voluntary
and cannot be mandated.
With discretionary efforts, employees go beyond
what the job description calls for to do what
is needed to get the job done. Mediocrity and
complacency have no place. Perfection and continuous
improvement of all job related activities are
the norm.
All of us are gifted with the ability to apply
discretionary efforts. It could happen when you
decide to answer the phone even though it is not
in your job description. It might mean coming
early or staying late to complete a task. It could
be when you take the time to help a customer who
is in need of directions. In the community it
could mean taking the time to let a motorist know
that a door is ajar. The list could go on and
on.
One of the obstacles to unleashing these efforts
is thinking that it is a financial matter. Abraham
H. Maslow and other behavioralists have shown
that above a certain point, money is not a motivator.
What seems to be more significant is the company
culture, the work environment and the treatment
received.
It is important to understand and believe that
it is innate to want to improve the output of
one's work. Holding at a level of accomplishment
is a position of boredom. No employee wants to
be bored and it is the responsibility of those
in charge to reduce the chances of this happening.
Purveyors of quality understand that developing
a culture that fosters teamwork, creativity, risk-taking
and innovation is the best way to tap discretionary
efforts. As coaches and facilitators, their focus
is on the importance of the intrinsic rewards
involved in employees making incremental improvements.
Leaders of quality recognize the importance of
the activities associated with continuous improvement
as a way to prevent boredom and to promote a sense
of usefulness. After all, looking for ways to
improve things is a lot more interesting and less
stressful than fixing things gone wrong.
Zealots of quality believe that it is human nature
to want to satisfy and even excite those being
served - the customer. They believe that if an
organization can internalize and develop systems
to support this belief, it will have motivated
employees who will exercise discretionary efforts
routinely.
The company that can institutionalize continuous
improvement to support the belief that doing a
good job is desired by all will have a good chance
of becoming a world class organization. This can
only happen through having highly motivated employees.
Submitted by Afolabi
Imoukhuede, Managing Consultant, MCS
Consulting Limited Ikoyi, Lagos
aimoukhuede@mcsworldgrp.com
Feeling Appreciated
Motivates Employees More Than Big Bucks
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