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Seven ways to kill staff morale
Staff morale is precious and can be easily damaged. It is dependent upon trust, appreciation and being treated respectfully. We created this list to show just how easy it is to kill morale. How quickly, as the team manager, do we change our behaviour when under pressure. Once morale is down, it is very difficult, but not impossible, to rebuild.
- Bark orders to staff
Treat them as a depot would. After all, they should be happy just be work here and get a paid.
- Don’t listen to them
What do your staff know? If they knew as much as you, they would be doing your job. As you are doing it, then you know more and know best.
- Exercise your power
Show your staff that you are the boss by changing your mind on the priorities. Change the priorities at the eleventh hour so they have to work all night.
- Cancel leave
Make sure they feel you just can’t do without them by cancelling their previously agreed leave. The closer to the days off the more you demonstrate just how much they are required
- Ring staff out of hours
Call them on the weekends and evenings, better still call them when they are off sick, to talk to them about progress on their action items.
- Change the job role
Keep staff on their toes by changing who is responsible for specific tasks. Better still, have more than one person doing the same job to the same deadlines.
- Reprimand in front of the rest of the team
Make sure everyone knows about mistakes so they can learn from each other by telling people off in front of everyone else.
Behaving like this is clearly self defeating. We know that how we treat others has a direct impact on their output.
Even if there was a slight twinge of recognition, take five minutes to reflect on
Once you have the answers:
- Be consistent in your behaviour
- Be patient, for your staff will, at first, be wary of the change in behaviour
- Show your appreciation of the efforts of your staff. It is easy to do and the results can be magical.
When staff understand the changes are permanent, they will start to respond with enthusiasm, motivation and want to go the extra mile.
Boost your Leadership Skills workshop does just that. This is no ordinary workshop. It is a mini leadership development programme taking your current skills level and the leader you want to be and over the course of a month or so, you are supported, encouraged, given techniques and tools to get you where you want to be.
To start the process, you ask five colleagues to complete a feedback questionnaire which is totally confidential and anonymous and this forms the basis of your development. The one day workshop held in a beautiful country location provides the guidance while being totally interactive is the main part of the programme. But, where traditional training falls down you are on your own back in the office. Not with this workshop, you have further telephone support with the other participants where you share what's going well and where you want that additional assistance to achieve your personal action plan. Hey, enough of telling you here, take a look at the Boost your Leadership Skills workshop. |
