On the Job: Explain the Impact

My employees are great workers. When I ask them to do something, they get it done quickly and accurately. I have noticed, however, that my team works more productively when I explain to them why I want them to complete each task.

My office ensures that stacks material is put back on the shelves in the right order. We also shift the collection and search for lost items. The whole point of Stacks Maintenance work is to allow patrons to find books quickly and easily. My staff could easily be shelving robots who just put stuff back where it goes, but they're not. My staff are a team who make sure the stacks stay in order and look good too.

The reason for this quality is because I tell my staff why they are doing their tasks and the important role that assignment plays in the overall library ecosystem. Usually, I will assign my students a task and, if it is new to them, say something like, "We do this because..." Once my employees know the role their work plays in the bigger picture, they sharpen their focus.

My staff also know that they are patrons too. If they shelve a book wrong, it might as well be gone forever. One day, they could need that book - and it's now missing because of an action of a lazy shelver. Explaining that a mistake as a compound impact helps my employees to see how the work they do effects others.

Finally, explaining the impact of your employees' work encourages department cohesion. When staff know their work "does good things" for the library, they take greater pride in their actions. Employees are not automatons, they play a role that influences how others use the library.

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