Discretionary effort is effort the company doesn't get to direct.
- Discretionary effort is effort the company doesn't get to direct.
- Discretionary effort is the term of art for when someone decides to go above and beyond what is required of them.
- They typically do this when they believe in the mission or enjoy the discretionary effort for its own sake.
- They went above and beyond because they wanted to, and if you tell them to do another thing they might just only hit the required bar and not go beyond.
- "Take that discretionary effort you did and apply it to this other thing instead" does not work
- Volunteer labor is free, but also more difficult to direct.
- Related to the "beggars can't be choosers" dynamic.
- You were gifted this discretionary effort; you get it or nothing.
- If you direct it to a thing it doesn't want, it just evaporates.
- Don't try to control discretionary effort, just be thankful that it's there.
- Make sure downside is capped (they don't do anything that harms the organization), but other than that, just leave room for the upside.
- Discretionary effort creates bonus upside. The only downside is that you can't control it beyond the lightest nudges.[aij]