Creating a More Productive Workplace

By Doug Hissong

Today all commercial organizations large and small want to make their work environments more productive.  They know that’s the key to competing well in today’s tough environment.  They know their employees are their most important asset and that those employees can do more.  But what are the keys to making employees more productive?  Let me suggest a few.

Raise the expectations

You probably know the story of Pygmalion from Greek mythology.  Pygmalion was a sculptor who wanted to create a statue of the most beautiful woman imaginable.  He worked painstakingly to create this exquisitely beautiful, ivory statue.  When completed, she was so beautiful that he fell in love with her and became obsessed with her.  In answer to his prayer, a goddess turned the statue into a living woman whom Pygmalion married.

Pygmalion expected the statue to be beautiful, and it was.  The “Pygmalion effect” refers to the fact that things tend to turn out as we expect them to be.  This is not merely a statement of good fortune.  It means that our expectations cause things to work out that way.  It's a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The story of Pygmalion was the basis for Bernard Shaw's play "Pygmalion", which in turn gave rise to the musical play and movie "My Fair Lady".  Professor Henry Higgins falls in love with the beautiful woman he “creates” from a poor, common flower girl.  She had become the true lady that he had expected her to become.  Expectation had become reality.

The Pygmalion effect has been demonstrated in a number of studies by psychologists.  People definitely respond to our expectations.  They behave the way we expect them to behave.  I bet you can think of examples you’ve seen; I certainly can.  What a powerful tool this is for us!  If you want to get people to do more, raise your expectations.  Don’t tell them what you want or hope for.  Let them know what you expect.  Do this in a very positive way.  Let them know that you respect them, that they’re very capable, and that you know (expect) that they will come through with the best.  They will.

Align the rewards

What does your organization truly reward employees for?  Do the rewards go to those who avoid screw-ups by clinging to a conservative status quo?  Do they go to the innovators, visionaries, and true leaders?  Do long-service employees feel good about the personnel actions they’ve seen over the years?

Where does your organization’s leadership or management style place the emphasis?  Does your “management by objectives” emphasize “bean counting” and easy targets over less tangible improvements and stretch goals?  Does your “management by exception” emphasize hunting for “who’s screwing up today” and cautious CYA, creating an atmosphere of fear?  Do you cling to management based on a “Theory X” view of your employees in spite of evidence that they’re “Theory Y” employees (as by far most employees are)?

Whatever kind of behavior you reward most is the kind of behavior you’ll get.  Is the behavior you’re fostering what’s truly best for your business?  Does it lead to maximum productivity?  Is there a more people-related leadership/management style that will be more effective?

Focus on attitudes

Employee performance is very rarely limited by abilities.  It’s limited by attitudes!  Attitude is the paintbrush of the mind; it colors everything.  A person with a positive, “can do” attitude is bound to be more productive than one with a negative attitude.  And each of us has absolute control over his attitude!  We choose it.

Attitudes are extremely contagious.  I like the bumper sticker that says, “Courtesy is contagious.  Let’s start an epidemic”.  Courtesy is an attitude.  We say that someone has "infectious enthusiasm".  Enthusiasm is an attitude, and it’s definitely infectious.  And Emerson said, “Nothing great was ever accomplished without enthusiasm.“

Is criticism prevalent in your organization?  Benjamin Franklin and Charles Schwab are two highly successful individuals who have said that they don’t criticize because it’s not effective.  It doesn’t help anything.  Praise and encouragement help people and improve productivity.

All attitudes, both positive and negative, are infectious or contagious.  They're passed from one person to those around him or her.  One person can pull a whole group up or down with his or her attitude.  We need to be alert to what we and others are passing around, and to control it.  We need to keep a positive and enthusiastic attitude and pass it on to everyone we can.  We need to work to make positive, enthusiastic attitudes permeate our organization.

Previous Article   Next Article