By Shilpa Bhasin Mehra
Is being active or efficient truly appreciated or is it simply mis- used? What is noticed in the workplace is that many times, the employees who are active and pursue their work diligently and efficiently, get more work on their table. A few polite words of praise are, of course, awarded to them, but along with the praise comes heaps of additional work. This makes one wonder—is it really smart to be efficient? Should the efficient ones also join the bandwagon ofthe not-so-efficient ones?
We hear of motivational workshops, seminars, and talks. But it’s high time that theory gets translated into practice. How do the bosses actually motivate their employees? If the good workers are being over-loaded with more and more work, will they really be motivated to perform at their optimum best? The rewards should match the efforts. Sometimes words (even complimentary ones) seem hollow, when not followed by any concrete action.
It is taken for granted to pass the work to Mr/Ms Goody because he/ she will finish it in the most efficient manner. Work ethics motivate the sincere up to a certain level. But it is not a nice feeling to be mis- used. So, what the employers don’t realise is that this sort of working culture could be the very reason for the employees to feel demotivated. It is not the work per se or the workload, because humans have an innate tendency to survive even under extreme pressure. Work doesn’t kill anyone, but the attitude and work culture of the employers could kill the enthusiasm of the employees to work efficiently.
As children, we are taught to be prompt, sincere in our work, honest in our dealings with others, cooperative, and all the other good stuff. When we enter into the real world, we begin with these lofty ideals. Yes, I call them ideals, because soon enough, we start to doubt their relevance in the world outside of the schoolbooks. If we want a congenial and conducive work environment, we need to create a right working culture, where the juniors and seniors are treated with respect.
When it comes to productivity, we often focus on how long something takes to complete; as opposed to what we actually accomplished in a day. In fact, research from the Behance team found that placing importance on hours and physical presence over action and results leads to a culture of inefficiency (and anxiety).
The pressure of being required to sit at your desk until a certain time creates a factory-like culture that ignores a few basic laws of idea generation and human nature: (1) When the brain is tired, it doesn’t work well, (2) Idea generation happens on its own terms, (3) When you feel forced to execute beyond your capacity, you begin to hate what you are doing.
One way to assist you with measuring results instead of time is by generating done lists.This is simply an ongoing log of everything you complete in a day. By keeping this list, you’ll feel more motivated and focused since you can actually see what you accomplished. This gives you a chance to celebrate your accomplishments and helps you plan more effectively.
Responsibility, accountability, transparency, and mutual respect are in- tegral parts of a good working environment and apply equally to all. What is required is motivation and not only delegation. The managers have to show the way by leading by example. Efficiency demands and commands efficiency! Be inspirational in order to inspire others.
Shilpa Bhasin Mehra has over 30 years of legal experience in the UAE. She has been the Head of Legal at global companies, as is now an independent legal consultant. Shilpa is the recipient of many awards for legal excellence and writing skills. She was also awarded the UAE Golden Visa in 2022 for her intellectual contributions. Shilpa lives in Dubai with her husband and two sons.
This is an excerpt from Shilpa Bhasin Mehra’s book ‘Unfiltered and Upapologetic’ published by OakBridge.
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