Some managers call them “dead people walking”, others call them “retirees at work.” You know who they are: employees who do little more than show up. They do the bare minimum, offer little or no ideas, and are the first to go. They are disconnected, disconnected and disinterested. All companies need a significant contribution from every employee, especially in this period when they are forced to do more with less. Excellent and profitable employee performance requires motivated, enthusiastic and passionate employees, not those who are retired from work or retired. It’s time for them to be active or to help them formally do what they have informally done … retire.
Today’s economy of doing more with less has reactivated the focus on responsibility and performance. Organizations invest in their employees; for this investment, they expect a return. The higher the performance, the more value the employee has to the organization. Enthusiastic, passionate, and energetic employees pay off big. Retired employees at work offer little or no return. It is critical that managers assess who they are and why they act the way they do.
Who are retired employees at work?
These employees are visibly disconnected from their work and the workplace. They are generally the first to leave and the last to arrive. They have little or no sense of urgency; they have less responsibility. They have limited friendships; most are superficial. They do only what they are told and take little initiative. They have left, but someone forgot to tell them to stay home.
Why are there retired employees at work?
Before I can tackle this, I need to address what drives performance. Every great performance is based on both intellectual and emotional connection. Intellectual connection refers to what an employee does well: what talents, strengths, and natural aptitudes the employee has. Emotional connection refers to what the employee loves to do, which makes an employee passionate and excited at work. I call these two components the “peak performance formula.” Every great performance (personal or professional) always includes both an intellectual and an emotional connection. A high performance athlete has the skills (is intellectually connected) and has the passion (is emotionally connected). A high performance chef is one who is good at what he does (intellectually connected) and is passionate about cooking (emotionally connected). A great musician, manager, doctor, truck driver, parent, or spouse is first good at what they do (intellectually connected) and passionate about doing it. This combination is the key to great performance.
The reason for retirees’ performance at work (at work and in life) is because most people do not invest the time to understand what they are good at (intellectual connection) and what activates their passions (emotional connection); they don’t know themselves well. Plato and the early Greek philosophers was not only a requirement for “knowing yourself” central thinking, but it remains the basis of great performance today. We must learn what we are good at and what attracts and inspires us. Spending time with our “selves” is the key to reversing the retirement syndrome at work. Without this knowledge, most of us work jobs (or live lives) that don’t fit well; we do not feel capable or inspired. Therefore, the performance is consistently average. In the workplace, this average performance leads to weak customer relationships, weak results, and less return on every dollar invested in payroll. In life, it can lead to boring lives, troubled relationships, and a general state of unhappiness. Although most people can be optimistic and motivated for a short period of time, sustained exceptional performance always requires us to be intellectually and emotionally connected to what we do.
Let’s review how to re-engage and re-energize from two perspectives: first, from your perspective, you are a “retired at work” employee, second from a manager’s perspective, you are managing a “retired at work” -Work “employee.
You are the retired employee at work
To live and work in a more dynamic, engaging, and inspired way, you must first invest in yourself and take the time to learn what you are good at, what you love, and what makes you successful. The intersection of these three areas is your power performance core – you are good at it, you love it, and you make it successful. To begin this analysis, complete a talent assessment; This will help you see what you are good at. Then list the things that you are passionate about. Finally, list what makes you feel successful. Identify where the three areas intersect. Ask others to be part of your discussion and process. Address all three areas and create a plan to reinvigorate your approach to work and life.
Manage a retired employee at work
A manager can help an employee reconnect with great performance. Start first with a look at the intellectual connection. Is the employee good at what he does? Are you working in a job or role that matches your talents and strengths? If not, identify opportunities that are a better fit; consider realigning the employee. Evaluate the employee’s talents. Find out more about your values, interests and potential. This will help you see his areas of trust and competence and guide you where and how to reconnect him intellectually.
Once reconnected intellectually, it is important to work on the emotional connection. In many circumstances, employees who work in their talent areas are also passionately connected to work. A chef who loves to cook is inspired to work as a chef. An accountant participates when the day includes financial analysis and creation of financial statements. A retail sales clerk is passionate about connecting with other people and building relationships.
Managers can maintain and nurture this level of commitment to “job sculpting.” Job sculpting is the process of personalizing each employee’s jobs to allow more of their personal values, interests, and passions in their work. It seeks to engage and inspire employees in areas that attract employees and make a difference in the business. This could be an employee who loves to write and who can help the company create a customer newsletter. You can be an accountant who is excellent at coordinating events and has the responsibility of organizing the next event for clients or employees. Each task or responsibility attracts the employee (emotional connection) and prompts a business response. This triggers an employee’s emotional response and moves him from average, bland, and withdrawn at work, to passionate, engaged, and excited.
The key to performance is connection, both intellectual and emotional. We think, feel, care and are complex people, at work and at home. For performance to rise, we must address both areas of connections: we must focus on what we are good at and what we are passionate about. This requires self-understanding and a commitment of time and interest to understand our employees. When they are on! and passionate (at home and at work), they act. Only then can we help end the response of retirees at work. Only then can we activate its real performance power. And in this economy, we need it.