A colleague of mine was doing some consulting and recognized that one of the issues the organization was having was that the clerical workers were operating robotically with no idea as to the meaning or purpose of the data they were entering. It made it more challenging to catch and then correct errors and relegated them to a menial role, unable to contribute critical thought or analysis to the work.
We think this situation only happens with front-line workers or those doing repetitive tasks but it occurs at all levels of an organization. Staff members facilitate orientation as a necessary task of checking off the boxes rather than seeing it as an indoctrination to the organization’s mission as a whole. Other workers prepare reports without seeing the implications of the analysis they are conducting. Staff performs responsibilities every day without understanding the meaning or the ultimate purpose they are trying to achieve.
Whether you are the employee or supervisor, take the time to clarify the “why” behind the work you are asking people to do. If you make the context and objectives clear, you pave the way not only to make the job more meaningful but create a path for the employee to contribute value to the process. Organizations benefit more from critical thought than robotics.
