So, you conducted your Challenge Check across the organization, and just as you suspected—heck, you knew—you’ve got a few bored and disengaged drooling-melvins in your midst. Now what?
Well, because we know that a challenged employee is likely to be a happier and more engaged employee, if you feel like your dis-engaged employees (the ones who scored 16 or higher on the Challenge Check Scorecard are ultimately good eggs who are capable of more, then try giving them a special assignment that taps into their unique skill set, adds value to the organization and feeds their sense of purpose.
A purpose-driven assignment, however big or small, is an excellent way to push a bored employee outside of their boring-as-of-late comfort zone. “We leave lucrative jobs to take low-paying ones that provide a clearer sense of purpose,” said Daniel Pink, who for years has researched and written about the topic of motivation. (See Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us.)
Ask your dis-engaged employees the following questions by giving them this super-short employee survey, another one of my 5-Minute Tools.
If you can get creative, think outside the box, and give your disengaged employee a special project that makes him feel just that, special, you’ll be on your way to re-engaging that bored employee. And you might start to crack another tough business challenge at the same time.
This week’s “What Motivates Me?” survey is just one of my 5-Minute Tools for maintaining a healthy and happy employee base. For more, check out 8 Things That Make for Happy or Unhappy Employees and the Anatomy of a Happy Employee desk art.