Identifying De-Motivation
How do you know when your employees are feeling disengaged or demotivated?
The following behavioural markers should give you a clue:
- Following the letter of the instruction rather than the spirit as evidenced by, ‘But you didn’t tell me to do X” when X was implied by the instruction and necessary to the completion of the task.
- Going early and coming late, using up all sick days and even taking unpaid leave days. Days off are mostly on a Monday or Friday.
- Increase use of social media, youtube and instant messaging at work.
- Silence – not contributing to discussions or dialogues.
When I am conducting workshopswithin an organisation I hear the following complaints from dis-empowered of demotivated employees:
- “My boss doesn’t listen.”
- “Why isn’t my boss here as he needs to hear this stuff?”
- “Why don’t senior management do what it says in the value statement?”
- “I can’t influence head office in USA/Europe and they make unreasonable demand on my time and resources.”
Motivated and enaged employees are more creative and productive; disengaged employees will lose customers, money and have more accidents at work. Therefore to re-engage employees you should talk to your staff and listen to the answers. Ask questions like;
- “What do you like best about working here?”
- “What do you like least about working here?”
- “What would you change if you could?”
Of course if you ask these questions you must be prepared to do something about the answers otherwise it will increase cynicism.
And what if you are feeling de-motivated and disengaged? Then get back in touch with what your work means to you above and beyond the paycheck. What about your work gives you an intrinsic sense of achievement? Ask yourself, “if this was my company, how would I behaving?” Above all look for the fun and pride in what you do because your work is an extension of who you are (see posts on Self Leadership).
