A friend of ours is a flight attendant and she’s bored. She’s not bored because she is at home, she’s bored because of how her job has changed.

She says her work today is just giving flight instructions. She doesn’t like the fact that she doesn’t get to interact with the passengers. She complains that all she can do is sit in the plane for hours on end and play Candy Crush.

Are your people bored? Bored employees are a big risk for companies that want to stay at the top of their game.

Your great performers need challenge that goes beyond the transactional. They need to feel that their work has meaning and that they have ample opportunity to play to their strengths.

In your next one-on-one with your team, find out what else can be done to help them stay challenged and playing to their strengths.

Simply ask:

  1. Are you having fun?
  2. Do you feel like you are learning and growing?
  3. What can we do to help you get more of what your really enjoy doing?

Some people like researching. Some people like organizing. Some people like experimenting with new initiatives. Take some time and ask the question.

I doubt that the answer will be “I wish I had more time for Candy Crush” and it may not simply be more of what they are doing today.