Stop expecting discretionary effort.
“Discretionary effort” gets treated like the holy grail.
Engage your people , and they’ll do more:
Work longer hours. Take on more. Go above and beyond.
But that’s backwards.
Discretionary effort isn’t the goal of engagement.
It’s the outcome of an experience worth engaging in.
Let’s break that down.
Discretionary effort means:
“The effort someone could give if they wanted to — beyond what’s required.”
But what is required?
Stop expecting your people to give extra effort.
Instead, clearly define what the standard effort actually includes.
Set the bar. Communicate it. Support people in meeting it.
Once someone is meeting the expectations of their role, there should be no assumption that
“more” is owed.
If someone chooses to go above and beyond, that’s their choice.
It should be appreciated , not expected.
And it should never be the only way they feel valued.
If your organization does want more from someone, that’s a different conversation.
That means redefining the role, revisiting compensation, and ensuring recognition aligns with
responsibility.
Because anything extra shouldn’t be quietly expected.
It should be clearly acknowledged , and fairly rewarded.
Everyday Moves:
Define what success looks like in each role and make sure it’s understood
Create space for your people to grow, but let them opt in
If you ask for more, be prepared to give more …in recognition, support, or compensation
Discretionary effort isn’t something you demand.
It’s a personal choice , not a performance baseline.
If you want more, define it. Discuss it. Reward it.
But don’t build your engagement strategy around it.
What would shift if we treated meeting expectations as success , not a starting point for
more?