Some managers call them “walking dead people”, others call them “retirees at work”. You know who they are: employees who do little more than introduce themselves. They do the bare minimum, offer few or no insights, and are the first out. They are disconnected, disengaged and disinterested. All companies need a significant contribution from every employee, particularly in this period when they are being forced to do more with less. Excellent and profitable employee performance requires motivated, enthusiastic and passionate employees, not those who have retired on the job or retired. It’s time to get them active or help them do formally what they have done informally… retire.
Today’s economy of doing more with less has revived the focus on responsibility and performance. Organizations invest in their employees; For this investment, they expect a return. The higher the return, the more value the employee has to the organization. Enthusiastic! Enthusiastic, passionate, and energized employees create great returns. Retired employees at work offer little to no return. It is essential that managers evaluate who they are and why they act the way they do.
Who are the retired employees at work?
These employees are visibly disconnected from their work and the workplace. They are usually 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’ve left, but someone forgot to tell them to stay home.
Why are there retired employees at work?
Before I can address this, I need to address what drives performance. Every great performance is based on both an intellectual and an emotional connection. Intellectual connection refers to what an employee is good at: what talents, strengths, and natural aptitudes the employee has. Emotional connection refers to what the employee likes to do, what makes an employee passionate and excited about work. I call these two components the “maximum performance formula.” Every great performance (personal or professional) always includes an intellectual as well as an emotional connection. A high performance athlete has the skills (he is intellectually connected) and he has the passion (he is emotionally connected). A high-performing chef is one who is good at what he does (intellectually connected) and passionate about cooking (emotionally connected). A great musician, manager, doctor, trucker, parent or spouse is first good at what he does (intellectually connected) and passionate about doing it. This combination is the key to all great performance.
The reason for withdrawn job performance (in work and in life) is that most people don’t invest the time to understand what they are good at (intellectual connection) and what fires their passions (emotional connection); they don’t know each other well. Not only was “knowing oneself” the central thought of Plato and the early Greek philosophers a requirement, but it remains the foundation of great performance today. We must learn what we are good at and what attracts and inspires us. Spending time with our “I” is the key to reversing the retiree syndrome at work. Without this knowledge, most of us work jobs (or live lives) that aren’t a good fit; we do not feel capable, nor inspired. Therefore, the performance is consistently average. In the workplace, this average performance leads to weak customer relationships, weak bottom lines, 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 feel upbeat and motivated for a short time, sustained exceptional performance always requires us to be both intellectually and emotionally connected to what we do.
Let’s review how to re-engage and reinvigorate yourself from two perspectives: first, from your perspective: you’re a “retired at work” employee, second from a manager’s perspective: you’re managing a “retired at 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 by spending time learning what you’re good at, what you love, and what makes you successful. The intersection of these three areas is your core energy performance: you’re 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 make a list of the things you are passionate about. Finally, list what makes you feel successful. Identify where the three areas intersect. Ask others to be a part of your discussion and process. Address all three areas and create a plan to reinvigorate your approach to work and life.
You 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? Is he working in a job or role that matches his talents and strengths? If not, identify the opportunities that would be a better fit; consider reorganizing the employee. Evaluate the talents of the employee. Find out more about his values, interests and potential. This will help you see his areas of trust and competence and guide you to where and how to reconnect intellectually.
Once intellectually reconnected, it is important to work on the emotional connection. In many circumstances, the employees who work in their talent areas are also passionately connected to the job. A chef who loves to cook is inspired to work as a chef. An accountant is hired 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 encourage this level of commitment to the “sculpture of work.” Job sculpting is the process of customizing each employee’s jobs to allow more of her personal values, interests, and passions into her work. It seeks to engage and inspire employees in areas that engage employees and make a difference to the business. You might be an employee who loves to write, and you might help the company create a customer newsletter. You might be an accountant who is great 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 generates a business response. This activates an employee’s emotional response and moves them from average, bland, and retired at work, to passionate, engaged, and excited.
The key to performance is connection, both intellectual and emotional. We are people who think, feel, worry and are complex, at work and at home. For performance to skyrocket, we need to address both areas of connections: we need to focus on what we’re good at and what we’re passionate about. This requires self-understanding and the commitment of time and interest to understand our employees. When they’re on! and passionate (at home and at work), they act. Only then can we help end the retiree response at work. Only then can we activate its true power of action. And in this economy, we need it.