Your Most Enthusiastic Workers May Not Be Your Best Performing Employees

There are many different types of employees in any organization. Some are the most productive, while others are enthusiastic about their work. It is important to know which type you have so that you can properly manage them and maximize their potential. Managers often assume that the most productive employees are also enthusiastic workers, but this is not always true. Enthusiastic workers can be turbo-charged and produce output at such a frenetic pace that they overpower themselves and burn out. Some people work best in bursts of activity punctuated by periods of rest. They need to be encouraged to stay active but also given the chance to recharge their batteries.

Study by Digital Strategy Institute finds highest levels of enthusiasm performed 20% worse than those with moderate levels. In a second study, involving 111 full-time workers from a variety of industries across the United States, those with lower levels of education reported significantly higher job crafting cognitions than those with higher levels of education. The study found that employees with less education said they spend more time thinking about how to make their role on the job more meaningful and engage in behaviors like spending additional time focusing on personal values, which is one of the key components of job crafting. The research suggests that it is possible to increase individuals' job satisfaction by encouraging them to adopt a more positive mindset about their jobs. Employers should be aware of the potential for this type of mindset to benefit workers and the organizations they serve.

The people who produce the most are not always the best motivated or most enthusiastic employees, so managers need to know how much they should prod and incentivize them, and when they can allow them to work in peace. Different types of workers require different management techniques; in particular, they have different 'optimal arousal levels'. A highly aroused state is the optimal condition for performing simple repetitive tasks, but not for more cognitively oriented tasks.

The idea that the most enthusiastic workers are inherently the best performers at their job is a common misconception. While it's great to have employees who are excited about what they do, it doesn't always translate into being productive. Studies show that those people may be less likely to perform well than those who enjoy their work but don't feel as passionately.

Why Your Most Enthusiastic Workers May Not Be Your Best Performing Employees?

The best employees in your company may not be the most enthusiastic. This is because they know how to complete their tasks with minimal effort and without any emotional investment. You might think that it would be great for you to have a team full of passionate people, but if you’re looking for high performance, this isn't what you need. What's more, such people can harm your business by creating an environment where others perform less well than they could otherwise. So, when trying to identify your top performers at work try taking into account those who are good at self-regulation and not just those who seem like the life of the party regularly.

Employees are often judged on how they perform their duties and the enthusiasm with which they do them. However, this may not be a perfect gauge for determining their performance at work. It's important to remember that some people have different levels of motivation. Some employees are naturally more enthusiastic than others - but these workers may not be your best performers. Consider looking beyond just enthusiasm when trying to determine who might be your most effective employee!

You can't always tell if an employee is being sincere or just putting up a good front by judging whether or not they are enthusiastic about what they're doing at any given moment in time. You need to look deeper into how each person works day-to-day, as well as their level of engagement outside of the office.

For example, an employee who is enthusiastic and passionate about their job might not always be as effective as you'd like them to be - even if they're incredibly dedicated to your company. This could be because they're easily distracted, easily discouraged, or simply unmotivated by difficult tasks.

Similarly, you could have an employee who is extremely effective on the job but shows no passion or enthusiasm for their work. You might find that they relentlessly attack even the most basic of tasks, and show little need to be part of a team - even if they're just sitting alone in front of their computer all day doing very little work.

Conclusion

As a manager, you want to find the best employees. You may be looking for those that are most enthusiastic about their job or who work the hardest. But if your goal is to have top performers, then it’s important not to focus exclusively on these types of metrics. The truth is that some people need more encouragement and support than others to do their best work.

This doesn't mean they aren't motivated enough, but rather they just require different management styles and coaching techniques from what's needed by someone with a high level of intrinsic motivation. As a business leader, you need to make sure you’re looking for and hiring employees based on more than just enthusiasm. Passion is important, but it can also lead to burnout as well as higher turnover rates if they don’t have enough support or resources from management.