This weekend I ran a 10K race at my best pace ever and placed 2nd in my age/gender category. Not bad for a late bloomer in this running game, having run several 10k and 1/2 marathons this past year. As well as I did, I KNOW I couldn’t do a 1/2 marathon at the same pace without significant training. It’s common sense to me. Apply this observation to business leaders and managers today. Articles tout performance per employee is up the past couple of years with the assumption this is the “new normal”. It is unsustainable in the long run and here’s why.
In these economic hard times, employees have been asked to step up and ”run a sprint”, (i.e. help out where needed, take on additional roles left through layoffs of friends and colleagues, with limited resources, time constraints etc.). At the same time, employees have not been trained as development budgets have been slashed; nor have they been given adequate resources or time to prepare for their expanded roles. This can work for short bursts, just as most anyone can sprint to rush out of a burning building or get out of the way of an oncoming truck. But, to ask someone who is not sufficiently prepared to do extraordinary work for an indefinite period results in failure for all.
Look around, ask and check in to determine if your employees are becoming fatigued, less engaged, or maybe even looking for a new employer. Final thought: Business success and life are marathons, not sprints.
