Travis Bradberry* says more employees leave organisations because their boss has failed to motivate them, than for any other reason.
Few things are as costly and disruptive as managers who kill morale.
Demotivated employees underperform, then walk at the first opportunity.
The scariest thing is how prevalent this lack of motivation is.
Research shows that 70 per cent of employees consider themselves to be disengaged at work.
Organisations know how important it is to have motivated, engaged employees, but most fail to hold managers accountable for making it happen.
University of California research found that motivated employees were 31 per cent more productive and were three times more creative than demotivated employees.
They were also 87 per cent less likely to quit.
Gallup research shows that 70 per cent of an employee’s motivation is influenced by his or her manager.
What follows are examples of the worst behaviour that managers need to eradicate.
Making stupid rules:
Rules are needed, but they don’t have to be short sighted and lazy attempts at creating order.
Whether it’s an overzealous attendance policy or taking employees’ frequent flier points, even a couple of unnecessary rules can drive people crazy.
When good employees feel like big brother is watching, they’ll find someplace else to work.
Letting accomplishments go unrecognised:
It’s easy to underestimate the power of a pat on the back.
Rewarding individual accomplishments shows that you’re paying attention.
Managers need to communicate with their people to find out what makes them feel good and then to reward them for a job well done.
Hiring and promoting the wrong people:
Good, hard-working employees want to work with like-minded professionals.
When managers don’t do the hard work of hiring good people, it’s a major demotivator for those stuck working alongside them.
Promoting the wrong people is even worse.
When you work your tail off only to get passed over for a promotion that’s given to someone who glad-handed their way to the top, it’s a massive insult.
Treating everyone equally:
While this tactic works with children, the workplace ought to function differently.
Treating everyone equally shows your top performers that no matter how high they perform, they will be treated the same as the bozo who does nothing more than punch the clock.
Tolerating poor performance:
When you permit weak links to exist without consequence, they drag everyone else down, especially your top performers.
Going back on commitments:
Making promises to people places you on the fine line that lies between making them very happy and watching them walk out the door.
When you uphold a commitment, you grow in the eyes of your employees because you prove yourself to be trustworthy and honourable.
When you disregard your commitment, you come across as slimy, uncaring, and disrespectful.
Being apathetic:
More than half of people who leave their jobs do so because of their relationship with their boss.
Smart Organisations make certain their managers know how to balance being professional with being human.
These are the bosses who celebrate an employee’s success, empathise with those going through hard times, and challenge people, even when it hurts.
Bosses who fail to really care will always have high turnover rates.
It’s impossible to work for someone eight-plus hours a day when they aren’t personally involved.
Once managers have eradicated this behaviour, it’s time to replace it with behaviour that makes people love their jobs.
Follow the platinum rule:
The Golden Rule (treat others as you want to be treated) has a fatal flaw: It assumes that all people want to be treated the same way.
The Platinum Rule (treat others as they want to be treated) corrects that flaw.
Good managers are great at reading other people, and they adjust their behaviour and style accordingly.
Be strong without being harsh:
Strength is an important quality in a leader.
People need someone who can make difficult decisions and watch over the good of the group.
A lot of leaders mistake domineering, controlling, and otherwise harsh behaviour for strength.
Strength isn’t something you can force on people; it’s something you earn by demonstrating it time and again in the face of adversity.
Communication is a two-way street:
Many managers think that they’re great communicators, not realising that they’re only communicating in one direction.
They don’t really hear the ideas that people share with them.
Others never offer feedback, leaving people wondering if they’re more likely to get promoted or fired.
Be a role model, not a preacher:
Great leaders inspire trust and admiration through their actions, not just their words.
Many leaders say that integrity is important to them, but great leaders walk their talk by demonstrating integrity every day.
Be transparent:
Good managers are transparent and forthcoming about goals, expectations and plans.
When managers try to sugar-coat, employees see right through it.
Be humble:
Few things kill motivation as quickly as arrogance.
Great bosses don’t act as though they’re better than you, because they don’t think that they’re better than you.
They see their leadership position as bringing them additional accountability for serving those who follow them.
Take a genuine interest in employees’ work-life balance:
Nothing burns good employees out quite like overworking them.
Overworking good employees is perplexing to them; it makes them feel as if they’re being punished for their great performance.
If you cultivate the characteristics above and avoid the demotivators, you’ll become the kind of boss that people remember for the rest of their careers.
*Travis Bradberry is the co-founder of TalentSmart, a provider of emotional intelligence tests, emotional intelligence training, and emotional intelligence certification. He can be contacted at TalentSmart.com.
This article first appeared on the TalentSmart website
