When employees are inefficient and do not engage in the life of the company, it is a sign that something is undermining their motivation and requires repair or change.
Many managers and executives in such a situation focus on introducing effective systems of rewards and punishments, while fixing the problem should start with eliminating those factors that demotivate the team the most. Here are some of them.
If the team is demotivated, it is worth looking at the person of the manager and assess what kind of relationship he has with his subordinates and whether he is a real leader for them. An authoritarian and rude supervisor who humiliates and intimidates employees is one of the most common reasons why people leave their jobs.
An incompetent leader may make various mistakes, which have a bad influence on the motivation of subordinates:
More and more young people active in the labor market believe that work should bring joy. Work that has meaning is valued more than status or career. And when employees don’t find that meaning, when they realize that a particular company or activity doesn’t develop them, they lose interest in it and look for a place where their skills will be sought after and their career ambitions will be satisfied. There is a very simple way to avoid this situation. Managers should at least occasionally ask their subordinates the question, “What could the company do for you that would make you want to work there?”
Disorganization is a disorder, or rather a lack of order, chaos and mess, it is not clear who is responsible for what when priorities change several times a day. Often the manager himself is the cause of this. Such organizational chaos and confusion are some of the strongest demotivators. Employees don’t know what to do or how to do it, they receive conflicting instructions, and as a result, they make more mistakes that cause stress and dissatisfaction.
Sometimes a leader treats his subordinates differently. Some people are more demanding, while others forgive significant mistakes and irresponsibility. Also, old and new employees are often treated differently, which does not help newcomers to adapt and find their place. Double standards also apply to superiors and subordinates themselves, e.g. a manager dumps all tasks on others, but in the end it is he who receives praise from the boss, while the rest of the team remains nameless.
The causes of conflicts can be really different and it is hard to expect that there will be total agreement in every team. However, open bickering, resentment, gossiping, or intentionally making mischief with each other significantly reduces the productivity of the entire group. Most people have no desire to go to a place where there is constant tension, even if it involves only two people. A manager should intervene and work with his subordinates on effective communication and problem solving.
Demotivated employees have no desire to perform their duties and quickly experience burnout, which eventually leads to quitting. Therefore, you should always react and try to identify the problem in time.
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