Why Asking for More from Your Team May Tank Productivity

If you’re pushing your team harder to reach goals right now, you might actually be causing a decrease in productivity.

This may seem like a counterintuitive leadership rule, so let's break it down.

In the consulting world, we look at a phenomenon called Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (OCBs). This is a stuffy academic term that describes the things people do that are above and beyond what’s expected or included in their job description.?

OCBs contribute meaningfully to Organizational Effectiveness, aka the ability of an organization to meet its goals. While there is a solid business case for aiming to increase the instances of these behaviors (getting more for less / getting the most for your money), there is a far more compelling effect worth noting.?

OCBs are actually an effect of high engagement, and folks who are engaged report high job satisfaction (i.e. they don’t plan on leaving and actually like working here). In this space, they have tapped into inspiration and purpose and enjoy their work more, making them more willing to extend themselves at work. It’s one of those few win-wins that a business with hard financial objectives and a human-focused culture can agree on!

As a leader, when tasked with doing more with less, it seems reasonable to ask folks to buckle down and step up in ways that are outside their usual zone. Maybe you’re asking folks to work late or over the weekend or take on additional responsibility. But in practice, this may establish an environment that tanks your team's satisfaction and productivity – while also setting your people up for burnout.

An anecdote from a real company:

At the companies I work with, we track sentiments across each organization from all levels so we continually have an inside pulse on how people are feeling and functioning.

When things were going well at one particular company, we were focused on aligning with our core values and fostering a culture that people were proud to be a part of. The natural effect of this was that individuals were spending extra time working on each other’s projects, staying late to collaborate on new ideas and make improvements to processes, citing feeling inspired by the work and happy to contribute to the mission. The organization was getting a TON of additional energy and output from people AND people were happy about their work.

Now that this team, like many, is in a position where its ability to meet its goals seems uncertain, a huge pivot may be on the horizon if it falls short. Naturally, leadership is asking folks to step up and give more to achieve company goals.?

Sentiments in this type of environment are markedly different. We hear things like:

• How can they expect me to give more? I already give so much.
• Why would I do that without compensation?
• We shouldn’t be expected to give up our weekends.
• I’m here for now, but I’m looking for other jobs.?

Folks aren’t staying late; they are saying ‘no’ to new projects or additional work, setting boundaries, and exhibiting signs of burnout. (Remember that burnout isn’t about hours worked, but wholeheartedness.)

When the organization and their managers ASK for more effort, the team feels taken advantage of.?

Organizational Citizenship Behaviors are abundant in an environment in which people feel they are being generous to the company, giving freely of their time and energy, because they find the work fulfilling and the mission worthwhile.?

So, as a leader, what do you do?

The feeling of the culture responds to how you are holding your leadership. So, first, I’d encourage you to stop and take an inventory of what is driving you right now.?

None of these are ‘bad’ or ‘good’ and you may endorse many of these feelings simultaneously- however contradictory.

Are you being driven by:

• Fear
• Frustration
• A sense of injustice or unfairness
• Something else?

Or is it:

• Inspiration
• Joy
• Belief in the team/mission
• Optimism for the future
• Conviction
• Something else?

Take a moment to feel whatever comes up as you sit with what you discover here.

Now, think about these questions:

• How might you trust that the team you built WILL do great things because they believe in the team and/or mission?
• Where do key leaders or teams need tighter management or scaffolding?
• Where might you be holding too tightly and could you delegate/lean into trust instead?
• What might you share with your people about what’s happening that puts you all on the same team?
• How might leadership tap into inspiration and intrinsic motivation, rather than demanding them??

When you feel you’re in ‘wartime,’ setting aside even a small chunk of time to reflect on the state of things can give you a more nuanced perspective on the efficacy of your leadership.

Pay attention to your team. Tough times can either be times of bonding, galvanizing, and emerging on the other side better than ever, or they can erode trust and belonging in your organization and lead to turnover down the line. You may feel like your company's success is solely your responsibility, but you won’t convince me that you can achieve that success alone.

Get your whole team pulling alongside you and feel the difference.