How To Overcome Complacency In The Workplace

Any job can lead to getting too comfortable. No matter how busy or quiet the workplace is or how good or bad the culture is, there is always a chance that workers will become unmotivated.

What Does Workplace Complacency Mean?

Complacency at work happens when workers are happy with their job and the organization they work for. They're just going through the motions and not making any changes. They're not motivated and don't help their coworkers if they have time to spare.

What to Do If You or Your Coworkers Are Overconfident

If you or your coworkers feel like they're getting too comfortable, it's time to do something. Complacency makes workers less productive, less engaged, and less motivated. In some workplaces, it can even cause accidents.

Risk Assessments

Staff who are too lazy can be dangerous. When a job is easy, people are more likely to take shortcuts that could put safety at risk. If you don't think you're as careful about safety as you used to be, try to work more carefully and keep safety in mind.

Let's say it's clear that your coworkers are taking shortcuts, taking risks they didn't take before, or that no one is trying to take safety seriously. In that case, an Occupational Health and Safety Audit can find things that could be a problem. Staff can become blind to safety risks if they are too comfortable, so it may take an outsider to arrive at the workplace and point out possible dangers.

Be proactive about learning and growing.

If you've been doing your job for a long time, you might feel like you're just going through the motions. You aren't required to think too hard or even try that hard because it all comes naturally. If this happens to you, it might be time to change things.

Talk to your boss or coworkers about how to learn a new task. You could help a coworker who does a specialized task or role you'd like to do. You will have to focus, pay attention, and learn a new skill to do a new task.

When you're good at what you do, now is a good time to take a class or learn more. Choose a program that will assist you in learning skills or information you can use in your present or potential job. It's also worthwhile to speak to your boss about your professional growth and see if the business can assist you with that.

Think about the future.

Think about what you'd like to be accomplishing in five years before you decide what to study next. If it's a new job, consider what you must know to get there. It could be new skills, more schooling, experience in those other areas, a new job with a different company or in a different part of the company you already work for. Please write down your goals and all the necessary actions to reach them. Set a time limit for each step so you can figure out what you need to do to reach your end goal.

Get Some Career Advice

If a worker is comfortable or bored with their job, they usually won't do anything to change it. Frequently, it's not because they're lazy but because they don't know where to go next in their careers. There may be jobs open at their current job, yet they haven't considered applying for one.

You might not even know what skills and experiences you've picked up over the years or what jobs would suit you. A professional can help you get the most out of a Vocational and Transferable Assessment Task to find new career paths and roles that are a good fit.

Wellness Programs

The same old thing can get old. Staff can change their week by participating in lunchtime or after-work activities like yoga, a gym membership, neck massages, a lunchtime walking group, or a friendly competition between teams. The organization can help reduce complacency by giving people something different to do and allowing them to get involved and build relationships. 

For some people, this can make their jobs a lot more interesting. PeopleSense by Altius Group runs Employee Wellness Programs that can be made to fit the needs of most employees in an organization. These programs can include physical, mental, and social health initiatives.

How companies can fight workplace complacency

There are many methods that organizations can try to stop people from getting too comfortable at work. There are many things to do, from looking for creative methods for improving morale to determining if a workplace wellness program is needed. Our variety of programs for workplace wellness helps build a strong culture at work, which can help prevent or deal with feelings of complacency.