Many managers I speak with believe employee morale is fine at work. Things are different when I talk to some of the employees. The number one complaint is the lack of appreciation. Often I speak with employees who are clueless as to how their manager feels about them. Without some sort of feedback from their managers, they assume everything is fine. One employee said, “I must be doing ok. I still have my job.”
That is not a motivated crew! They want to do their work and go home. There is no feeling of ownership or belonging. I am concerned when I do not hear laughter at a company during the course of the day. Laughter indicates a connection among fellow workers. Talking softly typically indicates fear or secrets. Both of these are enemies of teamwork and motivation.
Solving The Problem:
- Evaluate your employees. Mushrooms grow well in darkness, but employees decay. Evaluations can be an extremely powerful motivation tool as long as you indicate what they are doing well, and then choose one or two areas you would like to see improvement. Everyone has areas, which need improvement. Doing this will indicate that you care about your employees and want to see them prosper.
- Give recognition among the group as examples of what you are expecting. Encouragement is Empowering! I once met a high school football coach who had not lost a game in over two years. He told me he only had a few real talents. The rest simply believed they were the best because that is what we told them. “We beat teams that, on paper, we should have lost to, but our guys believed they could win, so they did.”
- Thank your employees for working hard. Praise and appreciation are like vitamins. If you don’t see immediately results, continue with a daily dosage. Soon you will see more energy. I believe most everyone wants to do a good job. If you find someone does not fit with your personality, transfer him or her to a different manager. If they won’t work for a different manager, get rid of them! It only takes a few holes to sink a ship.
Keep up the good work. You can be a great manager!
Ken Bear Cole
A Second Look Business Consulting LLC
