Why people don’t do what their managers expect them to do.

This is a free article you might find interesting. It’s also a sample of our knowledge and how we can help you get a bit better at your job, and/or how we can help you fix a problem. If you’re interested in our consultation services, contact us.

This should go without saying but disclaimer: The information provided below is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, medical, or other professional advice. You should consult with a qualified professional for specific advice tailored to your circumstances.

If you’re interested learning more about this topic, we have webinars: Engagement and motivation, and handling complex people problems cover similar ground, or you can find all of our courses here.

Managers can often find themselves exasperated at employees, for either; doing something they shouldn’t, or not doing something they should. Essentially:

It’s obvious, I don’t know how to explain ‘common sense’ to someone.

They struggle with people who ‘step out of line’.  Surely they know they shouldn’t do that? Or should be doing that?     I use the term step out of line specifically, and hopefully by the bottom of the page, you’ll see- what is the line, and can the employee see it?

This is important to HR, because so often people turn to us for the ‘please explain’, because they simply don’t do get it. So here’s how you can help understand and explain what is going on.

So why do people deviate from best practice? Let’s discuss.

Read here for why managers and HR don’t always agree.

Reason 1: it’s not clear what they ‘ought’ to do

Some work, some tasks, some duties are clear; at W, do X, check Y and close Z.  But most work is less structured, less predictable, so less prescribable.  Most work involves some level of discretion, some form of adapting and acting that gets us to the necessary outcome.  At W have a look at 1, then decide if it is A or B, then if A, then do Y, or Z, repeat for 2-25. In short, exercise judgement.

This makes ‘ought’ less clear.  It can be easy to see what the best thing to do was after the fact, but harder at the time.  We need to take care with ‘ought’ (e.g. should have known, ought to have figured out…), because hindsight is 20/20, and what someone should have done, can be harder to judge fairly than it first appears.

We want people to exercise discretion, we want them to be as autonomous as possible, and so do they. No one benefits from managers deciding every little thing. But, it has to happen sometimes, more than anyone would prefer.

Listen here for how HR is often trying to avoid managers blowing hot or cold on problems.

Reason 2: I gain from doing it this way. 

Our first assumption should be 1. above, that they are trying to do the best way for the company. But sometimes it’s not the case. Sometimes, people aren’t doing what they should (or doing what they shouldn’t) is because it benefits them personally.  Some behaviour is purely self-interest- theft, lateness, inactivity, less work to do, faking being sick and so forth.  This isn’t common, and often it’s not criminal or dismissible, but it is a problem that needs to addressed quickly and directly.

Listen here for how sometimes we are popping personal versions of reality.

Reason 3: It’s easier for me to do it my way. 

You could make the argument that this is really reason 2., but it’s worth making the distinction. This is ‘doing things the easier way’, which could be self-interest, but it could also be efficiency. It could be doing things faster to get more work done, and/or helping the customer out.

Let me give you an example: my first job involved cash handling. The correct process specified that cash must be ‘posted’ i.e. placed above the till, change extracted from the till, then the original cash sorted into their respective slots. But no one did this, because it was slower (albeit seconds at most), instead just putting the cash in the drawer, then getting out the change.

Was this ‘mass selfishness?’ no. No one gained personally by doing their job quicker. Not all shortcuts are self-serving, many are for the good of the company and/or the customer.

Read here for how HR can be people SMEs.

Reason 4: I find some things hard, so I avoid them. 

This is perhaps the most common reason in my opinion.  I know that you can think of lots of things you aren’t doing, because they are hard to do; either because they are physically straining, mentally stressful, or just unpleasant.  I know that the space behind your fridge needs a clean. 

This is common in performance- everyone has things they find challenging, and it’s human nature to shy away from those, towards aspects we find more enjoyable and/or easier. 

Read here for how to do medical exits.

Reason 5: It’s how we used to do things, and I know how to do it that way.

The power of habit is extremely powerful and often overlooked.  People like being able to do things, and don’t like not knowing how to do things.  So old ways and old habits will be preferable to new ways if they are more challenging, more complex, and less clear that the new ways are significantly better for them personally.

Read here for how to be a good mentor.

Listen here for how mentors can be limited.

Reason 6: I’m not sure what is important, so I’ll do what I think is important.

If an employee doesn't know their priorities, what their boss wants, they will do what they think is important.  This can be selective to their preferences, or it can be genuine.  We like our employees to show initiative, to be self-directing, and this is a good thing, where everyone wins. But there are downsides- sometimes that self-direction goes in the wrong direction.

Read here for how to slow turnover of good people.

Reason 7: I’m not sure what is important, so I stick to what I’m good at.

This is similar to the above, but a little different, where the focus is not what needs doing, but what they think they can do well.  This is something that happens in sports teams all the time.  If a player doesn’t know what the plan is, they do what they know- tackling, kicking, rowing etc.  If an employee doesn't know their priorities, what their boss wants, they will do what they do best.

Listen here for how being managed is a very hard place for an employee to live in.

Everyone as a reason.

Everybody has a reason for doing things, sometimes good reasons, often not enough. Understanding these reasons doesn’t mean we have to accept them, but helps us correct them.  So listen to their reasons, people always want to show that they aren’t idiots. But you can correct, re-direct, educate, re-prioritise.

Read here for how to give good people a little bit more money, but forever.

Other similar articles:

Podcast episodes:

If you have a few seconds, we appreciate any feedback: