According to Merriam-Webster, boredom is defined as, “the state of being weary and restless through lack of interest.” In other words, you feel as though you’re failing to reach your full potential. Workplace boredom can lead to anxiety as your day fills up with duties and tasks you’re unable to connect to the overall goals and values of your company. What’s more, you can become so inundated with completing tasks that you actually lose sight of the purpose of the tasks themselves, which can ultimately lead to workplace burnout. Shockingly, burnout in the shape of sick days or days worked while sick, (which means you’re not fully engaged), accounts for $120 to $190 billion per year in company expenses, according to Fast Company.
The number one treatment for workplace boredom is recognizing your purpose. Whether you find purpose providing a service to others, developing a new product, building employee relationships, or contributing to your company’s profit, a fulfilling purpose not only eliminates workplace boredom, but it can improve your physical health too. For instance, it has been known to reduce inflammation in the body, lower cholesterol levels, and even increase life expectancy.
3 Tips to Prevent Boredom on Your Team
Identify individual employee motivators and use them: Rather than assigning work to your team solely based on time constraints, designate tasks to employees based on individual motivators. Take time to demonstrate to your employees how their specific duties connect to their individual purpose as well as the company’s overall mission. This will substantially increase employee engagement.
Create visuals for your employees for reinforcement: Your employees will find it helpful if you create some sort of a motto or visual, such as an infographic or a poster they can display near their desk. That way, your employees will be reminded every workday how their individual purpose and the company’s mission are connected. Better yet, consider involving your team in this process, so they feel more inclined to utilize this tool.
Check in with your team on a regular basis: Before an employee meeting, ask individual team members to provide a fresh instance of a project or task that filled them with a sense of purpose. This will help you assess how well individual employees associate with the company’s overall mission.
A team that feels fulfilled and challenged as well as puts forth their maximum effort every day will positively impact the company’s net income.