18 chunks · 14 episodes
... citizens" who go above and beyond to create social infrastructure. They invest discretionary effort to go above and beyond in ways that improve things for others, too.
...g in the world, because if engineers feel like they own it they will give their discretionary effort, and they won't go to another employer who will treat them even better. I wonder if this will change given that engineering talent is now more demand...
... sit there. Similar to being enrolled in a job or role, pushing it forward with discretionary effort.
...yone is actively excited about achieving the goal, automatically applying their discretionary effort in the way that will have the highest impact.
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...
... it's easy, when it's not a chore to push beyond your current ability, to apply discretionary effort, to go beyond. When it's effortless to excel is when greatness can emerge.
... be engaged. To be engaged is to go above and beyond, act like an owner, invest discretionary effort. Going above and beyond is a choice that has to come from within. You can create the conditions where people are more likely to make the choice but y...
...people will disengage, or possibly even exit. People will not freely give their discretionary effort if they don't believe. You can't force someone to believe.
Discretionary effort comes when people trust, when they believe. Discretionary effort is going above and beyond, applying creativity in authentically motivated ways. It's...
...f the reasons seeds need to be very cheap. If they require someone to apply non-discretionary effort in their normal work time, that doesn't count as a seed, because it has a cost. A seed is "a free thing this person is interested in doing over and b...
...n you bring yourself to care when the competition compels you to not? Toxic for discretionary effort, creativity, general intelligence.
The vast majority of value for companies is created from discretionary effort of the employees. Discretionary effort is not just "an hour more work." It's more connective, seed planting, creative work. It's work the employee di...
When people do something because they want to, they will apply discretionary effort automatically. This discretionary effort is a gift to the world. Done of their own volition.
Things people do with their discretionary effort tend to be higher quality per unit effort. When you are compelled to do something, you need to clear the bar of the person who has compelled you to d...
...or generative. That means if they do answer it, the answer will be of their own discretionary effort. So it will be higher quality than if it were compelled.
The best way to chill discretionary effort instantly: give harsh notes on a thing someone did for fun. You think you're making it better by giving them a strong signal to improve it. But you'r...
People get to choose if they apply discretionary effort in a project. They can't be compelled. It's like volunteer labor. So if they disagree with you, and you're the beneficiary of the volunteer labor, do...
...bar of quality) even if they aren't engaged. The key question is: do they apply discretionary effort? That is, do they proactively go above and beyond and do more than what they were strictly obliged to do. It's possible to have the opposite, too. An...