From the course: Employee Engagement
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The value of discretionary effort
- When leaders talk about engagement, they do so mainly because they want employees to produce that magic pixie dust called discretionary effort. Discretionary effort is the difference between have to do and want to do. It's about going above and beyond what's included in the job description. Leaders love the idea of discretionary effort because it increases productivity and profits with minimal additional cost. But the type of effort that's encouraged at one company might not be the same as another. When I use the term discretionary effort, what thoughts come to mind? Putting in long hours every week, skipping lunch, checking emails all weekend and on vacations? Or, what do you think of showing patience with a difficult customer, helping a struggling team member, working overtime without being asked, sharing a cost-savings idea, or treating a busy boss to a takeout lunch? When we talk about discretionary effort, we…
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