HBR's 10 Must Reads on Performance Management

Creating Sustainable Performance

by Gretchen Spreitzer and Christine Porath

WHEN THE ECONOMY’S IN TERRIBLE SHAPE, when any of us is lucky to have a job—let alone one that’s financially and intellectually rewarding—worrying about whether or not your employees are happy might seem a little over-the-top. But in our research into what makes for a consistently high-performing workforce, we’ve found good reason to care: Happy employees produce more than unhappy ones over the long term. They routinely show up at work, they’re less likely to quit, they go above and beyond the call of duty, and they attract people who are just as committed to the job. Moreover, they’re not sprinters; they’re more like marathon runners, in it for the long haul.

So what ...