Typical Manager Mistakes: Dealing with Demotivation

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Demotivation is a killer in the workplace. 

Whether it's frequently turning up late, delivering the bare minimum, a lack of focus or negative comments, we have all, at some point, seen demotivation manifest at work. Count yourself lucky if you haven't because a Gallup study shows that ONLY 15% of workers worldwide feel engaged in their work…. 

”Why is that?” I hear you ask.

Well, demotivation can spread through a workplace like a virus when it isn't nipped in the bud straight away, and despite it being easy to spot, it is so common for demotivation to infect the office.

This is because laziness is demotivation’s evil twin, I mean at first glance they do look pretty similar and a HUGE mistake made by so many managers is getting the two mixed up.

Here are 4 key pointers to detecting a demotivated (not lazy) employee:

1. A change in an employee's behaviour

2. A loss of passion 

3. A decrease in work-output 

4. Increased absence from work 

If you spot any of these in an employee, then you may have a case of demotivation on your hands. Lucky for you, here at SMASH IT! Training we have some top tips to get the ball of motivation rolling again: 

1. Master their motivators - As a leader, knowing what motivates your team is so important. Finding out what gets your team (as individuals and as a whole) out of bed in the morning can really help you to engage them more in the workplace as well as help them to feel valued and respected. 

2. Frequent feedback! - In the words of Ken Blanchard, ‘feedback is the breakfast of champions’. Offering your team regular feedback and recognising when they are SMASHING IT! will really help to motivate your team. 

3. Promote progression - Most employees will want the opportunity to progress in their job roles, and when this isn't available, they are likely to lose motivation. Promoting job progression and training courses can help to switch things up and increase motivation in the workplace.

4. Be a Guide - As a team leader, the morale, productivity and motivation of your employees lies in your hands. An incredibly shocking statistic from Totaljobs shows us that half of UK workers quit their jobs due to poor relationships with their managers. You can increase motivation by making sure that you are supporting your team and frequently interacting with them, which leads me to my fifth and final point…

5. Communicate Effectively - Communication is the glue that holds our workplaces together, when this breaks down, so does everything else. Ensuring that two-way communication is always available and encouraged is a great way to keep motivation at a high! Getting your employees to ask questions and engage in meetings can help them to feel heard at work. 

Implementing these 5 tips into your workplace can have a huge impact on motivation and engagement. As a leader, your team is your responsibility so ensuring that you are always guiding them to reach their maximum potential is imperative for them and for the business. 

Take our free senior leader scorecard here to grab a 360 view on your team. You will receive a full report and personalised tips that you can implement straight away!