Why Don’t Employees Do What I Want? 5 Insights

When I was first promoted to leadership, it was a frustrating transition. As typical, I was exceptional at my role (Thank you very much), but I had only minor experience motivating and leading a team daily. Like many, I had one or two people I could not understand: "Why don't they just do what I want?"

Many years later, I know from my corporate and consulting lives that part of the reason was me, and part of it was institutional. My intention is that this will help you use a mirror rather than a spotlight to create a high-performing employee.

A successful organization relies on successful employees to execute the business’s vision, strategies, and tactics. However, achieving this takes more effort than many leaders realize. As a consultant, I’m frequently asked, “Why don’t employees do what they’re supposed to?”

It’s a legitimate question. At first glance, the terms of employment suggest that employees will do what’s required to help the company. That makes sense. However, somewhere along the way—sometimes even on Day 1—it may appear that the employee isn’t doing what the leader or company expects.

In today's newsletter, I’ll share insights about what might be happening. There are possible reasons beyond simply being "bad employees." While that could be the case, it’s often more about miscommunication or missed opportunities.

Simply put, the wires are crossing, but they’re not connecting.

(Next month, I’ll take the employee’s point of view: “Why Doesn’t My Manager Do What I Want?”)

1. Common Sense Does Not Exist

Common sense is the idea that there is a universal standard for operating in the world. For example, it’s common sense not to yell “fire” in a crowded movie theater. (Although, while researching for this article, I learned it’s not illegal. The more you know!) However, in self-defense training, I was taught to yell “Fire!” if I was about to be assaulted to get attention. If I followed common sense in that situation, the outcome could be terrible and preventable.

Common sense doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Leaders define it in their organization through communication and behavior. In documentation, the employee handbook establishes a business's “common sense” by setting boundaries. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) further establish performance and quality standards. Without these, employees are left guessing or relying on their historical experiences with past employers.

The Practical Tip: Create documentation to support the business's "common sense." Also, implement a review and version control process to ensure these documents are continuously updated.

2. Lack of Communicating Desired Results

If employees don’t know exactly what’s expected in terms of desired outcomes, they will operate based on what they think the goal is. Every role should have a clear definition of what success looks like, preferably with short-term and long-term measurements.

Even repetitive roles can have a vision of success. For example, in housekeeping, the desired result may be to turn a room in one hour while meeting all quality assurance measurements. If that’s not explicitly stated, a housekeeper from a previous company that had a two-hour room turn might mistakenly perform poorly in their new environment.

Additionally, connect the desired result to the overall success of the organization. If that connection can’t be made, consider eliminating the task. The labor market is too tight to have employees do tasks that don’t directly contribute to the health of the business. Ain’t nobody got time for that!

The Practical Tip: Share clear, objective expectations with every employee. This will keep employees motivated and ensure they perform the right tasks at the right time.

3. Home Life is Taking Priority

At some point, most people will face a home issue that affects their ability to do their job. This could be a long-term situation, like caring for a relative with a chronic illness, or a short-term one, such as recovering from a car accident. Yes, the employee may return to work within a week, but the mental shock and physical pain could continue affecting their work. One issue that has affected me, and many others, is the death of a loved one.

This is the time for a conversation with HR and the employee. I advise organizations to be as flexible as possible. Besides being humane, every employee observes how the organization handles such situations. Is it handled with compassion and fairness, or with favoritism—or worse, coldness? Is the organization living its values in how it treats and accommodates employees during these life events?

The Practical Tip: Be kind and equitable, with leniency, during these times. Work with the employee to create a plan that allows them the flexibility to manage their personal issues while still satisfactorily fulfilling their role.

4. Compensation Causes Resentment

We tend to get uncomfortable when discussing compensation, but it’s a practical aspect of business that should be approached directly.

If new hires are brought in at significantly higher salaries than tenured employees, it can create performance challenges. The seasoned employees will eventually find out, and when they do, it can lead to resentment. Lines are subconsciously drawn: “Why should I go the extra mile? Sofia was just hired. She doesn’t know what I do, and she’s still paid more.” Resentment is hard to change without addressing compensation in action or policy.

The Practical Tip: Review total compensation twice yearly, including market benchmarks and new hire entry levels. If there’s a significant disparity, raise the salaries of tenured employees. It’s not worth risking their voluntary termination and losing their legacy knowledge. Plus, the organization will pay a higher salary for the new employee anyway.

5. Change Management is Non-Existent

Every organization changes—intentionally or not. What often causes poor performance is failing to manage change effectively. This is a critical issue, and I’ll devote a future article to it. But for now, successful change is almost impossible unless you’re mapping out a change management strategy and executing it with room for adjustments. Employees won’t know how to proceed or what leaders want, leading to unintended poor performance.

The Practical Tip: Multiply by at least three the amount of communication and the length of time for communicating upcoming procedural changes. Ask for feedback, and adjust where possible. If the change is non-negotiable, explain it clearly and its high-level reasoning.

If you’re experiencing a workforce or employee who doesn’t seem to be performing at their best, one of the reasons above could be the cause. Review this list to see if leaders can take different actions to determine if the issue is with the employee or if it’s a miscommunication or lack of clarity.

Always assume positive intent. It could be the leaders, the environment, or the employees. Be curious, identify the root challenge, and work to solve it.

Then, the question of “Why don’t they just do what I want?” disappears. Employees are engaged, and retention improves. Stakeholders, leaders, employees, and customers are set up for success.

The ultimate sign of a thriving business.

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