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My Best Employee Quit …And I Didn’t See It Coming
Why Employees Rarely Tell You The Whole TruthAbout How They Feel at Work …
… And Why Leads to Low Morale
Brian walked into Karen’s office – and quit!
Caught completely by surprise, Karen blurted – “What? Why?”
… At the same time thinking, “Where is this coming from? He was doing well – I thought he was fine.”
The truth lies in how Brian really felt under the surface …
“I have no idea what I am suppose to do with this project. What’s the goal?“
“Wait, what! I thought I had to focus on that other thing, now this is the priority?“
“I’m not saying a peep in the meeting. Everyone’s been so negative lately. My ideas get casually dismissed … if they’re even listening to me in the first place.“
“Am I doing well? Karen never gives me any feedback. Why would I go above and beyond for this place? It’s not like anyone will notice.“
Those are the secret thoughts of a disengaged, low-morale employee.
The sad part:
Brian used to embody all the characteristics of a model employee.
What happened?
Why does this scenario happen time after time to some companies, while rarely occurring for others?
Behavioral psychologists may have part of the answer …
Essential Insights
6 Mistakes That Kill Employee Morale
Experts in human behavioral psychology have identified six dumb ways managers can – and often do – destroy morale and productivity.
In this Essential Insights guide you’ll discover what the 6 mistakes are, plus:
Mistake #1:
Why committing this error makes it infinitely more difficult to terminate bad employees (for your own sanity and legally)
- Why “social capital” is the difference between great organizations and mediocre ones – even when two companies have equal talent
- The guaranteed-to-fail effort managers spend way too much time on with their employees (and what you should do instead)
Mistake #2:
The innocent assumption we make as managers that leave our teams confused and unfocused (The same mistakes Karen made with Brian, from above)
- Debate: Who is most accountable for employee morale – you (the manager) or the company?
- The unconscious bias every human has towards “opposites” and how it makes us too critical of people – and tempts us to “fix” employees that need no fixing
Mistake #3:
The two main reasons we fail to find the positive, and how it sucks the life out of our employees (The first reason is simply “forgetting” due to busyness. The other is a dangerous thought process managers fall prey to)
4 Questions to Consider About …Recognition, Praise and Rewards
- Am I an insecure manager? (Why you shouldn’t be so sure the answer is “no”)
- Do I use a “self-starter yardstick”? (How this can alienate different types of employees)
- Have you ever thought: “I hate when employees bring me problems, but don’t offer any solutions”? (Here’s the downside of thinking this way)
- Do I limit praise and special rewards for my top tier performers fearing other employees will be jealous or demotivated? (Why this is a crucial mistake)
Mistake #4:
The fastest way to demoralize employees and decrease productivity (96% of professionals think they are good at this, but employees disagree)
- Why underperformers drain the morale out of the team – and the big mistake managers make that compounds this toxic situation
- The two “common-sense” things every supervisor must do with expectations that all employees crave (These slip through the cracks all the time and lead to declining morale)
Mistake #5:
When managers are stingy (on purpose or unknowingly) with this proven morale booster it creates a “why bother” mindset in employees about giving extra effort
- What managers can learn from great salespeople (Mastering this crucial selling skill is the key to connecting with your employees, communicating with impact and gaining buy-in)
- Do you engage in gallows humor? (This is like infecting your entire team with a deadly virus that kills all morale, motivation and productivity)
Mistake #6:
Failure to identify, understand and tailor your management to the unique behavioral strengths of each individual (This is easily the greatest challenge for most managers)
… the sixth mistake is so important we dedicated an extra section to it:
The Four Cornerstone Behavioral Traits… and Their Implications in The Workplace
- Dominance – the so-called control trait
- Extroversion – the social trait
- Patience – the rate of motion trait
- Conformity – the structure and detail trait
These traits drive human behavior. Each one of your employees has a dominant trait while the others vary in intensity.
Identifying and understanding this is the key to seeing inside the mind and heart of your team. Doing so tells you what makes people tick, what motivates them and what drains their energy.
As you read the last section of this Essential Insights guide, you’ll learn:
- The key characteristics of each behavioral style
- How these traits translate into employee actions – or inaction
- Management styles that work best or repel people with each trait
- How to use this information to match people with the right job or task and improve team dynamics
- Why you need to be self-aware of your own dominant behavioral style – and how it colors your judgement
Figuring out how to improve morale, and therefore increase productivity is a guessing game. The concept is nebulous and tough to measure.
The reality: most employees rarely tell their boss the whole truth about how they feel at work, fearful of imagined repercussions and awkward conversations.
We certainly aren’t mind readers either …
And when you do find out – it’s usually during the exit interview.
The good news: there is a solution, and it’s easier than you think, if you know what to look for …
… more importantly, if you know what to avoid.
This fast-read guide details 6 irrefutable management mistakes – unintentional neglect – that leads to distrust, loss of social capital and poisoned morale.
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Get The ResourcefulManager Essential Insights:
6 Mistakes That Kill Employee Morale
Get This Essential Insights
& Much More …
With a ResourcefulManager Insider membership you'll get immediate access to the Essential Insights you're looking at right now, plus all this in your account on day one:
Quality, reliable information you can trust – professionally curated, distilled and delivered to you all in one place.
Become An RM Insider & Get This Essential Insights – $19/month NO THANKS, I'll Get This Essential Insights for $NA
