Employers Should Not Reward These "Positive" Behaviours

When we reward our staff for positive behaviours, it means that we want them to repeat those behaviours. But what if we unknowingly reward our employees for the wrong behaviours that we thought were good?

The worst thing you can do as a boss is to reward and reinforce behaviours that employees should not practice in the workplace. Here are some behaviours that many managers think are good but actually not:

1. The employee is always busy

An employee should not be busy all the time unless the employer gave them a workload for two people.

You might feel impressed seeing your employee work long hours, not taking breaks, and looks busy 24/7. But here's the thing, we are assuming that they spend all of their time being productive.

Not saying that they're just acting busy, but sometimes people who are always busy are disorganised. They take too much time to finish tasks and busy themselves with unnecessary ones.

They might also have trouble with time management, which is very common these days with the Work-From-Home policy. Either way, employers should not see employees being busy as employees being productive.

What employers should reward: Smart work ethic

Some employees seem relaxed but still got their job done. That's because they have good work habits that lead to desired results, such as effective time management. Your best performers probably work fewer hours but deliver better output and higher efficiency.

2. The employee follows the rules

Not to say that following rules is terrible, but if an employee toes the line too much, it could lead to stagnation.

Top performers are always seen as individuals who find new ways to do things. They may question the status quo or cut corners now and then. Sometimes, going against the grain can be a good thing.

What employers should reward: A questioning mindset

There are unnecessary company procedures that no employee dared to question because the answer is always "that's the way we always do it".

We should reward employees who think outside the box and develop efficient ways to do their work because they might save the company time and money.

3. The employee who comes up with unnecessarily complicated solutions

We might be impressed with an employee who draws a complex flowchart or roadmap to explain a concept. They might even explain with great detail, so we'll think of them as highly knowledgeable.

We should stop and ask ourselves if all this complexity is necessary. Does the employee make it easier for us to understand, or do they make it more confusing?

A top performer focuses on simplifying matters and not making them more complicated.

What employers should reward: Simplification.

A better employee is the one who presents an idea in a simple format so others can understand it faster. The ability to simplify concepts is a very underrated value that employers often miss.

4. The employee who is not afraid to get their voice heard

It is great when an employee is brave enough to voice their concerns. But we should focus on those who do it to gain attention and get what they want by simply being loud and visible.

Their concerns might be valid, but be aware of reinforcing their communication style by quickly addressing their problems. We should coach the employees to express themselves in a more measured and professional manner.

What employers should reward: Effective employees who are quiet

Sometimes, we overlook the employees who do their work every day without making a fuss. Ensure that those who are not making much noise get their fair share of recognition.

An employer should pay close attention to what they are reinforcing and only reward those who possess the desired behaviour. This way, their employees will understand what behaviours are positive and necessary.

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