Discretionary effort is the missing link between employee training and breakthrough results. Unsplash+
Unlocking peak performance from your team takes more than setting goals and expectations. It requires cultivating a workplace culture where employees go beyond “just enough” and bring their best energy, creativity and focus to the job. This is the power of discretionary effort.
Dr. Aubrey Daniels, a leading voice in applied behavior analysis, defines discretionary effort as the difference between the minimum required to get by and the maximum effort a person could contribute. Crucially, the notion of “maximum” or “extra” effort does not mean working more hours. The emphasis is on attention to detail, using best practices and applying a creative mindset. Extra effort means always looking for a better way to get the job done. As Dr. W. Edwards Deming, known as the father of quality, famously emphasized that improvement must be constant, relentless and fueled by passion.
Why discretionary effort matters
Discretionary effort is the engine of continuous improvement. From root causes identified, good practices developed and innovations generated, it can transform outcomes across industries. Whether it’s increasing uptime on printing presses in a greeting card company, coaxing more milk from cows on a dairy farm, filling the seats in a theater, reducing damaged heat bags for a pizza chain, loading trucks to meet the cube goal that turns on a green light at the dock or capturing the 10 most wanted customers for a new chemical product, the impact can be staggering.
None of these breakthroughs was achieved through compliance. They came from employees applying imagination, persistence and ownership. Leaders who tap into the wealth of this energy and creativity unlock a competitive advantage.
Why before how
At its core, discretionary effort reflects the difference between working under positive reinforcement (R+)—doing something because you want to—and negative reinforcement (R-)—doing something because you have to. This discretionary effort is the difference between compliance and commitment. Both drive behavior, but with very different outcomes.
Take training compliance. If employees must complete training by year’s end to keep their jobs (R-), the progress curve would stay relatively flat for most of the year, only to spike dramatically near the deadline. If, instead, completing training earns everyone’s families a steak dinner (R+), the curve will spike much faster as colleagues encourage each other to finish. R+ creates freedom, energy and commitment, drawing people in. R- generates stress, compliance and avoidance, pushing people away.
How do you create systems and organizations that are fueled by discretionary effort? Most organizations lack two elements.
The missing elements
Most leaders believe their job ends once they’ve hired the right people, set goals, shared the case for change and provided tools and training. Leaders spend most of their time initiating improvements, directing actions, launching new initiatives and attempting to motivate people through persuasion. But that’s only half the equation. What you do during and after the initiative—how you respond to effort and progress—is what makes the real difference.
A Fortune 500 CEO once told me that his leadership approach was simple: “Tell people what to do, then leave them alone.” While this might sound logical, it fundamentally ignores a universal truth—the second law of thermodynamics, which states that without intervention, systems inevitably decline into entropy. In behavioral terms, this phenomenon is known as extinction, the gradual deterioration of behaviors when they are not reinforced. Chaos wins unless leaders actively sustain momentum.
Avoiding this requires two essentials most organizations overlook: timely, specific feedback and meaningful, consistent reinforcement. Both of these elements take place during and after the initiative is launched.
Timely, actionable feedback
Pearson’s Law reminds us: “That which is measured improves. That which is measured and reported improves exponentially.” Feedback must be timely and specific enough to facilitate improvement to shape outcomes “during the game,” while the final score is undecided. Monthly or quarterly reports are too late. They’re the equivalent of reading the box score of the game in the newspaper the next day. Employees need real-time scoreboards: how many loans were approved today, how many orders shipped, how many tickets sold.
As one wise umpire quipped: “They aren’t anything until I call ‘em.” Leaders must call the plays, making results visible, specific and actionable.
Strategic reinforcement
Reinforcement comes in levels. All are valuable, but their impacts differ dramatically. Level 1 is being courteous, showing interest and letting employees know they matter. For example, asking about their sick spouse or telling them you like the shirt they are wearing. Level 2 involves recognition—catching someone doing something right. Level 10 comes next—a far more impactful stage than Level 1 or 2. Where Level 1 is reactive, responding to events as they occur, Level 10 is proactive, strategically driving improvement by celebrating behaviors, progress and milestones in ways that sustain momentum. This is the level where discretionary effort thrives as individuals find the best ways to get the job done and anticipate the celebration of the next milestone.
Imagine your team consistently achieves 100 percent on-time delivery, defect-free production, significant sales growth or perfectly matched personnel. You can recognize milestones using symbolic rewards:
- 2 weeks in a row: Doublemint gum
- 3 weeks: 3 Musketeers candy bar
- 4 weeks: a four-square game tournament
- 5 weeks: starfruit smoothies
- 6 weeks: photo cube with photos symbolizing the accomplishment
- 7 weeks: chips with 7-layer dip
- 8 weeks: Magic 8 Balls with customized messages
None of these rewards carries significant monetary value, but they can create excitement, build tradition and fuel conversations. By week three, employees start asking: “What happens if we hit four?” Suddenly, discretionary effort is in motion, driven not by pressure but by pride and participation.
New worldview, new leadership
Discretionary effort stems from increased care, not increased exertion. It’s about designing systems that create a “want to” culture instead of a “have to” one. When organizations establish timely and specific feedback and celebratory and sincere reinforcement strategies, they build a culture that fosters innovation, ownership and engagement. This is the essence of authentic leadership: not just launching initiatives but sustaining them with purpose, visibility and reinforcement.
What would it look like if your workplace celebrated progress like a touchdown dance in the end zone? Build a visible scoreboard that reflects daily or weekly performance. Set a target for celebration. Start planning the milestone moment. Get people talking about performance—and excited to be a part of it.