The Connection Between Halloween Candy and Workforce Mgmt

 

Halloween candy appears right at the checkout line. What do retailers know that you don't? They know that shoppers' willpower has been drained from previous shopping in the store and that these poor shoppers are at their weakest at being able to resist.

You need to know about willpower because there has been a significant amount of research that explains plenty about human behavior that is useful in managing the project workforce.

Roy F. Baumeister and John Tierney explain in their book Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength* that willpower is like a muscle that can be strengthened, but also can be depleted in the course of a day. You may not be able to easily mentor a workforce to build self-discipline, but you can help them avoid making errors due to psychological exhaustion.

• Remind them to eat properly. Willpower is lessened when glucose is low.  Donuts can even work in a pinch during a sluggish afternoon.
• Be alert for the signs of depleted willpower. There are not obvious red flags, but when you see an individual feeling everything "more intensely," it may be a sign that individual's brain has lost its ability to regulate emotions - an effect of depleted willpower. Irritation and cravings are all stronger.
• Don't allow individuals or groups to make major decisions in late afternoon, a common trouble point. On the other hand, it would be the best time to ask them to take on extra work.
  (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
• Help workers avoid burnout. When they cannot concentrate anymore on the task, it is wise just to move on to something else that does not require such self-discipline for a while. No one can instantly replenish willpower.
• Avoid making workers max out their willpower on a continuous long-term basis, such as weeks of long hours on relatively tedious project tasks. Otherwise, they will not be willing or able to provide bursts of productivity when needed in special cases, even though they are big supporters of the effort.
• Reduce temptations in the workplace that use up willpower. All distractions such as non-work internet access, constantly buzzing smartphones and leftover birthday cake all add up to depleted workforce willpower.

*Interview with one of the authors On NPR  http://www.npr.org/books/titles/140516995/willpower-rediscovering-the-greatest-human-strength.