Stopping employee de-motivators in their tracks

Drake Editorial Team

Fear and uncertainty are two of the biggest de-motivators of employees. When an employee is not sure whether they will have a job next week or year or are uncertain as to whether you will even be in business next month, I'll guarantee that these are having a negative impact on their loyalty, productivity, effectiveness and creativity.

We live in an uncertain world and always have. There is no security in a job, a career or a way of life. Sooner or later each of us must face our own reality that our security is within us. However, this mindset takes a great deal of maturity, courage and self-trust which many employees lack today. Add to this mix of emotional chaos for an employee the unknowns that they have little control over and is it any wonder why companies are failing in droves these days.

If you want to successfully emerge from these challenging times it's going to take creativity, staying power and faith in yourself and your employees. It is going to require that your employees have faith and trust in your decisions, actions and choices of which they have very little control.

Too many managers attempt to hide the raw truth from employees or camouflage it around positive words without positive actions supporting them. Employees can generally see right through your veil of uncertainty and will behave accordingly.

Everyone wants to feel secure but too many people turn this over to forces outside of themselves. Everyone wants to feel in control and yet few of us really have control over many of the situations in our lives. So what's the answer?

If you want motivated, productive and creative employees, shoot straight with them but at the same time keep looking for imaginative ways to maintain or grow your business. Staying stuck in old mindsets, policies, products or services during changing times is a recipe for disaster. It is important to:

• Engage your employees
• Encourage their open communication whether you like the message or not
• Ask them for their creative solutions or ideas to your current challenges
• Trust their judgment and decisions
• Create a positive and validating culture
• Reward optimism a as well as communicated realities

Motivation is defined simply as goal directed action or purposeful action. De-motivation occurs when one or both are missing - either clear goals, direction or purpose and/or focused actions and behaviour.

So ask yourself: how are you or other members of your management team contributing to the continuing fears or uncertainties that your employees are experiencing? Ask yourself: what can you start, change or do to reinforce your commitment to your business, its secure future and your employee's feelings of safety and security?

Do it now before it is too late.

Reprinted with the permission of Tim Connor of Tim Connor, CSP, a globally renowned sales and management speaker and trainer for over 36 years, and thebestselling author of over 75 books including Soft Sell, the best-selling sales book in the world, now in 21 languages. [email protected]704-895-1230 (US)www.TimConnor.com