Vinnie Bhadra
Posted On Tuesday, November 30, 2010 at 04:30:52 PM
Every task assigned to your employees is of utmost importance, however, in order to get the task completed, it is not necessary to always over-exaggerate the importance of the task, or rather ‘Cry Wolf”
Sometimes when we need to get a particular task done from someone, we tend to use pressure tactics like exaggerate the importance of the job at hand and insist that it has to be completed or how important it is just to concentrate on the task, at times not even giving explanations about the urgency of the task. When it comes to the corporate world, not always do the pressure tactics work, as after a point of time the employees will start to lose interest. It is here that HR has to intervene to make sure that the particular task at hand is completed, but without crying wolf to motivate the employees.
“If you claim that every project or task is critical, it won't be long before your employees ignore your sense of urgency and do things at their own pace, because they can not be kept motivated on that sense of urgency alone,” says Sunaina K, senior consultant with a leading advertising firm.
Also, the HR has to keep in mind that using the ‘Cry Wolf” tactic will likely slow the entire work process. Because the employees will start thinking that If everything is important or urgent, then nothing truly is. That is why it is important to share the details with the team rather than just reinforcing their authority and HR has to make sure that the communication channels are open both ways. “All the jobs are to be completed within the stipulated times period. We all operate under pressure and under such situations; we should communicate clearly the importance of the particular job and its implications to the employees. Thereafter, we all can pool our resources to help each other to meet the deadlines, says Paresh Pradhan, director, Luminous Teleinfra.
The HR should use relativity to convey when a project is truly critical to the organistion or the Unit. It is important to know when to apply pressure and when to lift the lid to let some heat out. “It is important to understand that if the employees are kept under pressure always, they burn out easily and lose their interest and energy to work better,” says Sunaina.
“Being the HR personnel, their aim should be to always motivate and encourage the employees. Constant interaction, formal and informal chat helps to release a lot of pressure and also enables to understand each other better. It is also important to talk to the superiors to set the priorities well in advance so that employees are clear about the targets and deadlines. Yes, the high-pressure zone does exist for every job, but then normally we should try that it does not turn into a volcano,” says Pradhan.
Here are steps that the HR can take to avoid this one classical mistake:
1. Try and avoid the attitude of portraying that all jobs are urgent, irrespective of their real urgency.
2. Try to focus on completing jobs, before they become urgent.
3. Rather than creating any pressure, decide minimum time period required for completion of a particular job; as the 'Cry wolf'can’t help always.
4. Motivate the employees, but don’t pressurise them as self motivated employees themselves find out ways to complete the task on time.
5. For all important jobs, build some reward and recognition as its the biggest motivator within the organisation and also provides as a better task completer.
6. Try not to interfere or track an employees all the time while working on a particular project.
7. Give them sufficient time to relax and freshen their minds during the hectic work schedules.
8. The genuine needs and requirements of the employees should be taken into serious consideration by the employees, so that they can work better.
9. Transparency in operation helps the employees to complete important/urgent jobs on time without any doubts in mind.
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