Maintaining an engaged workplace is a big challenge for nearly all organizations. More than anything else, they want to keep their employees motivated. However, managers unknowingly do things that cause dissatisfaction among workers. Top management shouldn’t only be focusing on telling people what to do. Managers need to tap into people’s emotions by building trust and inspiring them so they have the drive to deliver good results.
What are the common mistakes companies make that kill motivation among staff members? Let’s take a look at them in this article.
Failing to recognize top performing employees
Employees want to see themselves progress five to ten yen years from the very day they get hired by a company. Nobody wants to feel stagnant. One big mistake companies make is failing to take notice of employees who’ve gone the extra mile to deliver great work. Lack of career advancement can demotivate employees, causing them to leave.
According to Victor Lipman of Forbes, a highly important HR responsibility is creating well-structured career path systems. When you promote deserving workers, you send out the message that they’re an invaluable addition to the team.
Reprimanding employees in public
It’s never a good thing to point out an employee’s mistake in front of other people. It’s threatening, degrading and a clear sign of lack of respect for your worker. It can be taken as a sign of personal attack on the person’s character. If you want to correct undesirable behavior, don’t do it in public. You will either lose your employee, customer, or both.
Effective leadership can be demonstrated by talking to your employees in a way that doesn’t lower their morale. Give constructive feedback privately. Emphasize the person’s behavior, not his character. Treat your staff member as a responsible adult and plan a better solution together. Don’t only call your employee’s attention when he is doing something undesirable. Catch him doing something right.
Not admitting your mistake
Like your employees, you are not immune to committing errors. Great leaders are never too proud to admit that they are wrong, especially when their mistakes have compromised expected business results. The reason why some leaders fail to acknowledge their lapses is that they believe that they’ll lose credibility. Admitting your imperfections can actually help people trust you more. Your employees will also be encouraged to be honest and more accountable each time they’re wrong.
Honesty is one of the best leadership and management traits that motivate workers. By showing that you are human, you become stronger and better and set a good example to your company.
Lack of team building activities
Top performing organizations have team members that work hand in hand to help them gain competitive advantage in their industry. No matter the nature of your business, having employees that trust and communicate with each other openly matters.
There’s no need for you to organize costly weekend trips for your entire team to bond. Find simple opportunities to make your staff feel happier working together by having shared meals at lunch or snack time. Treat your team out for pizza or drinks. Play an engaging game at the office such as scavenger hunt.
Micromanaging your employees
If you think that constantly checking your employees’ work and dictating how everything should be done helps your company move forward, you’re mistaken. Micromanaging people decreases productivity and work quality. People will feel paralyzed to make decisions independently even if these are good decisions.
New staff members appreciate that they’re guided with company procedures. In fact, this is encouraged to ensure smooth transition into the job. However, you should allow your employees to be creative with their ideas and work with less supervision once they’re familiar with the company. Micromanagement disrupts workflow and makes employees to lose initiative.
Conclusion
If you want your business to flourish, strive to create a culture that prioritizes employee engagement. Staff members should know that they’re appreciated, heard, trusted, respected, and empowered so they can be self-motivated.
Are you guilty of the mistakes mentioned above? If yes, know that it’s not too late to improve your management strategies.
