#13: Going the extra mile
When we think about good performance we almost always mean exceeding specific KPIs tied directly to our job role. If you’re in sales, it’s probably how many clients you bring in per month; if you’re in HR, it could be the quality of your hires, and maintaining a good retention rate. This is also known as in-role performance—the results or output directly connected to your job function.?
However, there is an additional dimension to ‘good’ performance that is sometimes acknowledged, but mostly goes unrewarded—self-motivated behavior that greatly benefits the organization but is not directly tied to an employee’s job role.?
In psychology, this is called extra-role performance, sometimes also known as Organizational Citizenship Behavior or OCB. It’s when colleagues help their teammates when they are overloaded, help orient team members new to the organization, take it upon themselves to conserve company resources during tough times, make suggestions for improvement, etc.
Extra-role performance is especially important to organizations during times of crisis (think natural disasters, a tanking economy, or a global pandemic) when in-role performance cannot drive the desired results due to reasons beyond everyone’s control.???
It is important to note that extra-role performance and OCB are very similar and are sometimes used interchangeably. They are both self-motivated behaviors and relate to going above and beyond a specified job role. However, extra-role behaviors also include whistleblowing and principled organizational dissent that is not a part of OCB.?
Intrinsic Motivation and Extra-role Performance
Intrinsic motivation is a key driver of extra-role performance. Professor Rolf Van Dick, Professor of Social Psychology at Goethe University notes that, “Motivation, in the end, is not only the level of effort we spend, it’s also direction and persistence when facing obstacles or problems, and those people who are more intrinsically motivated will show more of all three of these aspects of motivation: So they put in more effort, they go in the right direction, and they are more persistent when problems arise.”
The correlation between motivation and extra-role performance, he adds, is twice as large as the correlation between motivation and in-role performance. “So if we consider both aspects, in-role and extra-role performance, I would think that employee motivation determines the overall performance in an organization to a really large extent.”
Since intrinsic motivation plays such a pivotal role in driving extra-role performance, how does one go about setting a foundation for a more intrinsically motivated workforce that is also more inclined to participate in extra-role behaviors?
1. Start with a Map ??
Without having a clear visual to the lay of the land, it can be difficult to get to where you want to be next. By using technology such as Attuned, you can learn what truly motivates every single employee within your organization and how well those motivators are being met.?
With this information, you can then figure out what you need to do to improve intrinsic motivation across the board and encourage behaviors that have a positive impact on the organization.?
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2. Set a Precedent ??
Make extra-role behaviors the norm, not the exception. As a team leader, you have the power to set the tone within the organization to encourage extra-role behaviors. This can look like setting an example by pitching in to help after a work event, acknowledging when the team puts in extra effort, and creating some form of positive reinforcement.?
3. Tie it with your mission ??
And lastly, make extra-role behaviors a part of the organization’s cultural blueprint. This can be as a part of the company values or its mission statement, or even a separate manifesto that focuses on the softer more human qualities of work dynamics. While providing an explicit guide to “how things are done around here” it can also help with point number two—setting a precedent.?
??Resources:
??If you want to unlock more insights about how motivation impacts performance, download our free whitepaper, "Extrinsic Motivation vs Intrinsic Motivation".
?? For a look at global trends in motivation over the past 5 years, get our State of Motivation Report 2023. It's free.??
Have a motivating week!?
About Attuned
Attuned is a psychology-backed, AI-driven platform that shows companies what really matters to their employees by measuring and visualizing the values and intrinsic motivations that drive each person. This allows busy managers to get to know their teams quicker, identify blind spots at-a-glance, and communicate more effectively. The result: increased engagement, productivity and innovation, more Psychological Safety, and ultimately happier organizations.