What motivate and demotivate employees?

When we think in how some companies are successful and others don´t?, how some companies have such a reputation that everyone want to apply and work there?, and how there are companies that suddenly fall apart? it all depends on their employees motivation at all levels, motivation sustains the momentum or destroy it if not managed well.

It has been demonstrated in several studies that motivated employees are more productive +30%, will generate more sales and will be +80% less likely to quit.

So, here are some main motivating actions leaders, bosses, managers and companies should be taking:

• Recognition
• New internal opportunities / challenges
• Flexibility
• Opinions taken in consideration (Listening)
• Fair workload
• Compensation for extra effort
• Personal Development Plan
• Mistake / learning allowance (No one is perfect)
• Positive feedback (Focus on Strengths)
• Interest in personal employee wellness
• Being trusted when performing a job (Empowerment)
• Having the required resources (there is a direct relation between time, cost and quality)
• Respect / Value experience and loyalty (No need to invent the wheel)
• Empathetic and Passionate Human Being Leaders (Natural Motivation)
• Being part of a successful history (Have a promising Vision for the Company and the Employees future)
• Clear achievable expectations/objectives
• Complete integration program for new employees or new assignments
• Fair salary and compensation (both company and employee should benefit from all above actions to generate wealth)

That sounds great and beautiful but how does the contrary looks like and what does it mean for the employees, bosses and companies?

What demotivate employees?

• Being ignored, just bosses are recognized and the whole team effort is not considered.
• External hiring for new opportunities and good positions, when there are internal employees with years of experience or very talented waiting for their opportunity.
• Promote the as**** employees or the bootlickers, this is the most demotivating thing for any employee, you’ll notice this is happening when suddenly good employees start quitting or being fired without justification.
• Getting extra workload for doing things right instead of more responsibility with extra resources, just because you are the good guy and abusive bosses take advantage of that.
• Boss checking where you are at and what you are doing the whole time even at vacation, weekends or time off work. You should be able to manage your own time and your own way to complete duties, as long as you are getting things done in time and quality it should be enough.
• Only the boss talk, if you talk and give a different opinion than your boss you are humiliated and even reported to human resources, believe me, this still happens.
• Ridiculous work load and working hours, not being able to have a personal life because work consumes your whole day, that means you are surviving and not living life, getting to the point you don´t even have time for lunch is just completely unhealthy.
• Company not showing appreciation to employees when extra effort for a very difficult situation is required to achieve a goal, bosses always ask for extra support and overtime hours, once is done, they forget and move to the next task.
• Company scheduling a bunch of no sense courses just to meet HR training hours target instead of Company sponsoring your next level education, special training, development coaching, etc., something you want and need. Or at least allowing the employees to use some actual work time for their education.
• When every meeting is a killing session where bosses always find something wrong even when everything is perfect, it´s completely devastating, it becomes a daily judge day.
• Feedback is important but more important is to focus on positive strengths, the more good things you say to a person the more they will keep doing it and improving it, if you tell someone is stupid then they will be stupid no matter what.
• Leaders should spend more time in workshop and meeting employees, understand what they do and know a little bit of their personal background, get truly interested in their dreams to help them come true.
• Not being trusted when doing a task is so humiliating, why would you hire someone and assign them a task if you don’t trust their ability, having a micromanager boss on top of you the whole time is the worst thing you could ever experience, it´s like having someone with a whip behind you while lifting stones.
• Being asked to perform a task without the required resources is like asking to do magic, then bosses blame employees when task was not complete on time or when it was performed poorly. It´s like asking your child to get milk from the corner store without money, task may be done but we don’t know at what price.
• When there is a new boss and they think they know everything ignoring the employee years of experience is a big mistake, you’ll notice this when employees become quiet and let the bosses fall down on their own decisions. When you are an experienced employee with many years in the company, always accompanying the employer in the good and bad moments, and suddenly the company let you down, it´s a real shame, this should never happen, loyalty should always be rewarded and respected.
• When there is a new employee and is left alone to perform any task, is like letting your child walking alone for the first time without any support, it sounds really scary and dangerous, if company and leaders don´t show support, the norm would be, everyone should take care of their own backs, creating a non trust environment.
• Having unrealistic objectives assigned by your leader or not having clear expectations and targets could result in wrong direction or frustrated progress, no one want to be in that position, be careful you could even be blamed.
• One of the most important points is; if you don’t have an authentic empathic and passionate leader you’ll most likely be suffering at work when you need something personal, before being a good leader you need to be a great human being, you could be the most intelligent, the most experienced, the fastest, the luckiest one, the most powerful one... but if you are not empathetic with employees it just won´t work in the long term, it’s like marrying someone you hate, that life will be miserable.
• Money is the result of everything else I explained above, if employees are motivated because of the good company culture and if they have a good compensation, then there is nothing else they will look for, other than keep working hard for the same company purpose.

In summary, motivated / engaged employees will always be the adrenaline for companies to be successful and profitable.

Most employees quit or get fired because of their bosses/managers lack of leadership, remember the golden rule: "Be the leader you want to have" or "Treat your employees the way you would like to be treated"

There may be a lot other factors depending on the work area, levels, Country, etc. but must of these factors are common and applicable even in a non work environment.

Olliver Infante

Based on experience over the years