Just read this morning an interesting article on “Discretionary Energy.” Here’s how the author defines it:
What is Discretionary Energy?
For our purposes, we define an employee’s discretionary energy as:
- Their willing application of knowledge and skills in service towards espoused strategy and goals, and
- Their demonstrated positive enthusiasm for their work, their team & its members, and their customers.
Discretionary energy is at play when an employee goes beyond the minimum. Sometimes discretionary energy is about innovation and creativity, but more often it is about jumping in before being asked, going beyond the basics to meet a need or solve a problem.
The article is about how leaders motivate employees to use their discretionary energy towards furthering the mission or vision of the organization.
Source: Driving Results Through Culture.