Motivation ❘
Stop de-motivating your employees! Most companies get it all wrong. To get it right, managers don’t have to motivate their employees, but stop de-motivating them, says Anesh Jagtiani.
great majority of employees start a new job enthusiastically. But a survey, conducted on the employees of 52 companies in the UAE, found that 85 per cent of the respondents’ morale sharply declined after the first six months – and continued to deteriorate for years afterward.
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Here are three ways to stop de-motivating your employees: Instill an inspiring purpose A critical condition for employee enthusiasm is a clear, credible and inspiring organisational purpose: a “reason for being” that translates for workers into a “reason for being there” that goes beyond money earned. Every manager should be able to expressly state a strong purpose for his unit. Starting a mission is a powerful tool, but equally important
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is a manager’s ability to explain and communicate to subordinates the reasons behind a mission. The best way to do this is to use the power of stories, as they connect straight to the heart and can be remembered. Provide recognition Now get this: almost two-thirds of employees say that the higher management is much more likely to critcise them for poor performance than praise them for good work. A pat on the back, simply saying “good going,” a dinner for two, a note about an employee’s good work to senior executives, some schedule flexibility, a paid day off, or even a flower on a
desk with a thank you note are some of the ways managers can show their sincere appreciation for good work. I still have a written thank you card that was given to me by my manager eight years ago! Feedback and improvement First and foremost, employees whose overall performance is satisfactory should be made aware of that. Performance feedback is not the same as an annual appraisal. Managers should give actual performance feedback as close in time to the occurrence as possible. They should use the formal annual appraisal to summarise the year, and defer from surprising a worker with past wrongs. Comments concerning desired improvements should be specific, factual, devoid of emotion and, directed at performance rather than at employees personally. One should avoid making overall evaluative remarks (such as, “That work was shoddy”) or comments about employees’ personalities or motives (such as, “You’ve been careless”). Instead, provide specific, concrete details about the task and how you feel the job needs to be improved. The reason you are giving feedback is to improve performance, not prove your superiority. If an employer or a manager is able to inculcate some of the above mentioned points in the day-today workings of a company, it is bound to boost employees’ morale and motivate them enough to be enthusiastic about their work.
Anesh Jagtiani is the CEO of Empowering Leaders, a leadership training company. Read more of his articles on www.elgme.com.