The Top 4 Ways You're Demotivating Employees Today
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The Top 4 Ways You're Demotivating Employees Today

Our culture loves the Bad Boss. We’ve seen him wander around Office Space, mug in hand, with that irritating tone (“Yeahhhhhh, I’m gonna need you to…”). She’s stolen our ideas (Working Girl) and beaten us down (The Devil Wears Prada). He’s driven us crazy with his utter lack of self-awareness or boundaries (hello, Michael Scott!).

But a Bad Boss is one thing in film or on the small screen - but quite another when we encounter the phenomenon as a big and undeniable part of our everyday professional landscape. Quality leadership, after all, is an indispensable tool for productivity, motivation, recruiting and retention for virtually all organizations. Conversely, a Bad Boss can erode efficiency and morale faster than you can blink.

I’m pretty convinced that almost no one sets out to be a Bad Boss on purpose – but what if you’re laboring under the misapprehension that you’re great? Even if you are a fantastic manager, it's always worth a moment or two of introspection to make sure. Here are the four top ways you could be demotivating employees today (don't let this be you!).

Assigning unnecessary work

As a manager, it’s tempting to assign work quickly when you have a lot on your plate. However, when your employees receive an assignment that contributes little to organizational goals or even wastes their time altogether, they often become frustrated and lose motivation for the tasks that actually matter. I like to ask my team about the dumbest thing they’re working on – it helps us understand what’s essential and what we can scale back on. In the same vein, be sure to explain things fully to your employees. Often the difference between an unnecessary task and a valuable one is simply a good explanation.

Failing to express gratitude

Employees want to be recognized for their hard work. It’s one of the most fundamental tenets of leadership, and ignoring employee progress is a huge mistake. It costs you nothing but the time it takes to acknowledge that person. When an employee feels unappreciated, he or she loses the desire to push boundaries and work hard for the company. Think about calling out high performers at your next all-company meeting or giving them a nod in the corporate newsletter. If formality isn't your thing, a genuine compliment every now and then goes a long way toward boosting employee motivation.

Not getting to know employees

The most effective leaders are typically the ones who bring a personal touch to their approach with employees. Instead of ruling over worker bees from your lofty corner office (so to speak), take the time to get to know your team. People tend to work much harder when they see you care and understand their impact on the team. Perhaps more importantly, remember that people are not identical - individual employees have individual motivations. When you invest the time to learn more about the people who work with and for you, it’s easier to identify what makes them tick and how you can help them realize their potential.

Losing the pulse of your organization

Office rumors (on downsizing, product issues, leadership changes and more) can spread like wildfire. The most effective managers are the ones who have a finger on the pulse of the office at all times. Gossip often hinges on facts that are distorted or poorly understood. Whether fact or fiction, truth or speculation, they can serve as big, unsettling sources of distraction for employees. A good leader heads these issues off at the pass, before they hurt motivation, productivity, and send your best talent out the door. Make sure you cultivate honest relationships with a few key employees at different levels. Rely on them to let you know – without attribution to individual employees, of course – what issues are gathering steam. Address them honestly, publicly and quickly. And make sure you have a true open-door policy where you’ll willingly answer questions in a one-on-one setting.

What’s your best example of motivating employees? Or have you experienced a demotivating boss?

 

David Newman

CEO at Sunrise Enterprises

1y

Restricting resources while expecting operational performance to maintain or better.

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Ajay Taneja

Senior Data Engineer at Jaguar Land Rover | Ex - Rolls-Royce | Data Engineering, Data Science, Finite Element Methods Development, Stress Analysis, Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics

8y

The third one is so common...!

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(GET) Global Entrepreneurs Team Inc.

GET is a free online club for aspiring and current Entrepreneurs from around the world.

8y

Being an IT Manager, I still have a "boss" and I often wonder if my list of "dumb" tasks outgrows the list of higher Priority tasks/projects...but then again that begs the question...who is making that list?

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Mark Hort

Financial Advisor at Department of Treasury

8y

The remark concerning assignments that contribute little to organizational goals (or even wastes their time altogether) is very revealing. I think I will appropriate and plagiarise the question: What is the dumbest thing you’re working on!

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