5 THINGSGREAT WORKERS DO…AND 1 INTENTION

CASES OF AWARD-WINNING WORK ACROSS ALL INDUSTRIES,

POSITIONS, AND PAY-GRADES, PROVES GREAT WORK IS A PRODUCT

OF 5 ACTIVITIES PEOPLE DO, AND 1 COMMON INTENTION.

RESEARCH ANALYZING

1.7 MILLION

Groundbreaking results? Yes…it was intentional.The study proved that Great Workisn’t an accident. In fact, all cases of award-winning work began with a single-shared intention: To create a difference people love.

Great Workers focus more onthe recipient of their work, thanon the work itself.

5 ACTIVITIES : 1 INTENTION

Who are Great Workers?Great Work is less an outcome of traits (who people are), but more an outcome of 5 simple activities (what people do).

Great Workers don’t categorically share similar traits. They:

• aren’t always the most engaged

• don’t have a certain personality style

• don’t share a particular set of competencies

• aren’t necessarily the most experienced

• don’t even work harder or longer

What do Great Workers do?Research proves Great Workers practice 5 activities

that drive unexpectedly higher results, with the intention of creating a difference people love.

Activity 1.Ask curious and provoking questions. Instead of adopting prevailing assumptions about how work should be done, Great Workers pause and ask provoking questions that open up new thinking. Common questions of Great Workers are: “why does this take so long,” “why can’t we,” “what if we could.” Great questions inspire great ideas.88% of great work projects began with

an employee asking “What difference would people love?”

88% of great work projects began with an employee asking “What difference would people love?”

PUSH PAUSE · ASK QUESTIONSPUSH PAUSE · ASK QUESTIONS

Activity 2.Great Workers are compelled to go… Great Workers are compelled to go and see things for themselves and understand what’s working, and what’s not working. They go to where their work makes an impact. Seeing how things work engages our minds in a different way.

Employees who saw for themselves were 17X more likely to become passionate about their work.

Employees who saw for themselves were 17X more likely to become passionate about their work.

Activity 3.Have engaging conversations. Great Workers talk to people outside their “inner circle” of friends and colleagues. They thrive on conversations inspired by diverse perspectives and ideas. When you listen to their conversations, they don’t sound like informational transactions. They sound more like explorations for disrupting their own perspectives and limited thinking.

72%of great work projects involve people talking

to their outer circle

Activity 4.Improve something. Great Workers have a knack for improvement. That knack is not a personality trait, it comes from something they do when they approach any project. They don’t see things as fixed or immoveable. Instead, they tinker. They test. Their confidence comes from the ongoing practice of building, shaping, trimming and fine-tuning.

Work is 3X more likely to be called important when someone has added or removed an element or two.

Work is 3X more likely to be called important when someone has added or removed an element or two.

Activity 5.Chase the change.Great Workers stick with their work and grit it out until they witness the connection between their actions and results. They measure the difference made, fine-tune, and analyze what it is that people really love.

90% of great work projects include employees who remain involved through implementation.

GREAT WORK:IT’S 5 SIMPLE ACTIVITIES AND THE INTENTION

TO CREATE A DIFFERENCE PEOPLE LOVE.

…and it’s proven by one of the biggest workplace studies ever conducted.

FROM THE

O.C. TANNER INSTITUTEoctanner.com/great-work

Want to know more? Download the full study here.

Discover the New York Times BestsellerGreat Work: How to create an difference people love.

O.C. TANNER AND THE O.C. TANNER INSTITUTE

O. C. Tanner helps the world inspire and appreciate great work.

Through our innovative cloud-based software, tools, awards,

education, and research, we provide thought leadership and strategic

recognition solutions for thousands of clients globally. Designed to

engage talent, increase performance, and drive corporate goals, our

solutions create personalized recognition experiences delivered

through a smart technology platform.

The O.C. Tanner Institute regularly commissions research and provides

a global forum for exchanging ideas about recognition, engagement,

leadership, culture, human values, and sound business principles.