“A happy workforce is a productive workforce!” I hope all of you, heard about this slogan before. Here is the thing although, this is a fact and it’s actually true. Motivated workers actually do better at the workplace and are more productive, according to any of the million-and-one studies that have been conducted all over the world. In this world, why do some of the biggest organizations like Google, Apple and Microsoft which have a reputation of being the top employers out there? Why everyone’s dream is to work at these places? While the pay scales and technology advantage is well known. What is not so well known is that there is special emphasis on the most valuable resource in a company Any Guesses? It’s nothing but, their employees! While most organisations talk about it these organisations spoil them, take care of them, and are extremely sensitive to their needs and as a result transpire with workers who are highly motivated and driven. Always, employees actually who look forward to the next-work day! Guide them on how to manage stress to increase productivity and let then take a break to come out of stress.
Here are the 5 big motivation killers at the workplace…
1. Not paying your employees for what they are worth Let’s not hit around the outback; money is also a big motivator at the workplace. Definitely, you will have plenty of people to tell you that money doesn’t matter and there are many other things which are more important than money. And yes, while it might be true for some cases, we all work for the checked wages at the end of the month. If your employees are not being paid for what they are worth or at least what other people will earn in same industry then don’t be surprised if they don’t show up to the work with proper motivation.
2. The fear of failure or letting your boss/ peers/ people down This can be one of the big motivation killers. Employees should be allowed to make more mistakes, learn from them, and become more efficient and productive, instead of a gun in your head situation at all times. Employees who are given freedom to manage their work, those who are allowed to do things in their own way, and those who are given the space to work without any fear that they might let someone down are definitely more productive.
Read Also – Tips to deal with difficult people at work 3. Not providing an environment that nurtures productivity Do appearances matter? Particularly when it considers getting the best out of your employees. The office-space needs to look like an office. It needs to be well lit, it is essential to be comfortable, it needs to be clean and safe, and so on… Also, it is essential to look like an office. It should allow and encourage employees to customize their work-space. All these small things are really significant.
4. Employees feeling like they don’t have to say in anything Delegation, empowerment and communication are the most commonly used keywords for motivation. Three keywords in producing and nurturing an office atmosphere that allows employees to have their opinion. Include employees in all the crucial decisions. Allow employees to even speak during staff meetings briefly. Make employees feel powerful and empower them to voice their opinions on how things can be improved. In worst case scenario you as a boss can still end up doing what you intended on doing for the first place. For the best case, get valuable feedback and ideas which can lead to improvement. The fact is whichever way you see, the people who work and understand that have to say in things, will do wonders for their motivation. Create a environment which builds positive energy in your employees, when your employees stay positive productivity increases gradually.
5. Employees forced to evaluate their peers I am not a very big fan of noble evaluations. In fact, no one wants to really complain on people they work with. Forcing it down as a great initiative actually does more harm than good. Even if these evaluations are confidential word gets around and people find out who said what about whom. All it does is create bad blood, which leads to demotivate and dissatisfaction in the job. In fact, it also takes away the existent teamwork. There could be a million other things which cause demotivate among your workers, it’s all related to many variables that could come into play. Conversely, these are some of the things just that I have come across during my time when I was a employed which I feel has the real ability to kill employee motivation. These could even lead to high absenteeism rate of organization as well as increase attrition. Every organisation should recognize the value of employees and work with intent to ensure their motivation is kept high. However sometimes it requires an external view to see it from an objective point of view. Iinlife offers Leadership and Executive coaching as well as motivational programs for the success of organizations and growth or individuals as well. Mr. Rajan Sampath, a life coach and motivation speaker in Bangalore leads this initiative.