There are moments and circumstances that make us feel happy and appreciated, but unfortunately there are also many others that destroy our motivation.
To make sure that, as a company, we are giving our employees an environment where they feel comfortable and can thrive, Lolly Daskal, president and CEO of Lead From Within, lists eight critical points that must be avoided at all costs if you don’t want to kill your employees’ motivation:
1. Toxic people
If you have ever spent time with truly toxic people, you know how draining it can be. Toxic people spread negativity and stifle positivity. Find them a new place where they fit, or if that isn’t possible, make sure policies and supervision work properly to minimise the damage.
2. Lack of professional development
Everyone needs to know that they are learning and growing. Developing each of your employees professionally lets them grow in their careers and also shows them that the company has a stake in their success.
3. Lack of vision
A well-communicated vision sets the direction and shows people where to focus. Without it, even the best employees are less efficient, because it is hard to excel if you don’t understand the bigger picture.
4. Wasted time
If yours is the kind of workplace where meetings are held for no real reason and emails with irrelevant information are sent to everyone, your staff are most likely deeply frustrated.
5. Poor communication
When communication is poor, people spend half their time trying to guess what they are supposed to be doing, critical tasks get lost, non-essential work gets duplicated and destructive rumours flourish. A clear flow of communication benefits everyone.
6. Top-down management
When you work in an organisation where your ideas and input are not heard, where the only rule is “shut up and do as I say”, it is normal to feel at least a little listless. The more collaboration, the more commitment and the more motivation.
7. Lack of appreciation
When the results of your work go unrecognised, when you never hear a “thank you”, it is normal for people to become bored and apathetic. You can reward employees without spending a penny; it can be as simple as saying “thank you”.
8. Bad leadership
Bad leaders damage their whole team and their whole organisation. Even the best employees need effective leadership to excel. Start by developing your own leadership, then hire and grow the best leaders at every level. It is the best thing you can do to improve your workplace.
(See: Myths and truths about leadership)
If you recognise any of these factors in your own workplace, it is up to you to do everything in your power to fix them. People don’t stay long in bad places to work.
Further reading
- Google’s head of HR explains the only two ways to keep your best employees
- 9 types of toxic people we should avoid like the plague
Featured image: Queensland State Archives, Public domain, via Flickr.
