Achieving the mark means not completing a task but resetting it in many companies. Employees often discover new challenges waiting for them, which often go unrecognized for what they have accomplished. The phenomenon described above shows a typical way of managing employee performance, whereby goals constantly change to keep productivity going. According to an article published in the UCLA Anderson Review, this kind of “performance reset” could negatively affect employee motivation, especially that of high performers who depend on established metrics to gauge their performance. Repeatedly raising the bar makes it hard for employees to see their accomplishments as anything but fleeting. They may start wondering if their efforts are recognized or are merely incorporated into new standards.
Why do organizations keep moving the goalposts?
From a management perspective, changing the objectives appears like a matter of survival. As the markets change, there is more competition, which means old objectives are now useless. Organizational response is to keep moving the bar higher to avoid complacency and maintain progress. But research, like what is cited in Dr. Devroy’s case studies about resetting objectives among top performers, reveals that such behavior without acknowledgment can have detrimental consequences. Workers perceive the continuous shifting of objectives as an indication of how their past accomplishments were not valued. The managers’ intention may have been to motivate the workers, but they end up undermining their efforts without acknowledging them.
This definitely affects motivation over time
Motivation requires challenge and recognition, and the lack of one or the other will throw everything out of balance. In fact, studies in the field of organizational behavior suggest that employees who are regularly faced with changing targets feel less satisfied in their work and suffer from more stress (UCLA Anderson Review). Eventually, they may lose the desire to do their best, trying to only maintain their level of achievement and not drop behind. It is an interesting psychological phenomenon, and recognition is crucial in avoiding it. If employees are able to observe their successes being officially recognized, they will not be afraid of new challenges, understanding them as positive development rather than negative pressure.