Surefire Ways to Demotivate Your Employees

Ever notice how a new employee’s enthusiasm eventually wears off? In 85% of companies, employees’ morale significantly drops off after their first six months on the job, according to a survey from Harvard Management Update.
For the most part, enthusiasm is determined by work environment, and it can be fostered or hindered by you—the boss. Employee motivation experts say the best way to keep employee enthusiasm moving forward is to “first, do no harm.” At a minimum, don’t do anything that demotivates your workers.
 Check out eight demotivators below.
1. Public criticism.
Pointing out a worker’s mistake in front of others rarely yields a good response. Though some managers think public reproach keeps everyone else from making the same mistake—it usually just makes everyone feel bad. (Tweet this sentence)
2. Failing to provide praise.
If employees feel like their hard work goes unnoticed, they’ll start to wonder why they’re working so hard in the first place. Be sure to offer praise, both privately and publicly. Even small things, like a thank-you card or a “good job” email work.
3. Not following up.
Have you ever solicited ideas, asked what employees think about a policy, or asked your team to draft a proposal? If so, be sure to relay the results, even if the ideas or proposals don’t go anywhere. Asking employees for input without acknowledging it shows a lack of respect.
4. Give unachievable goals or deadlines.
Once employees realize they won’t be able to get something done, they’ll think, “What’s the point? I’m going to fail.” Provide goals and deadlines that are challenging, but not impossible.
5. Not explaining your actions or sharing company data.
Just because you hold the cards doesn’t mean you should hide them. Explaining the big management decisions will help employees understand your perspective—and they’ll respect you for it. Likewise, sharing key company data such as revenue and profits validates staff contributions.
6. Implied threats.
If an employee is producing sub-par work, it’s OK to let them know your expectations. But it’s not OK to threaten their job—especially if you’re threatening the entire team in a public setting. A “do this or else” attitude often has the opposite effect when it comes to motivation.
7. Not honoring creative thinking and problem solving.
When employees take initiative to improve something—a company process or an individual task, for instance—don’t blow it off. Instead, take a good, hard look at their suggestion. Don’t ignore it, or you risk losing that employee’s creativity in the future.
8. Micromanagement
Perhaps the worst demotivator is micromanaging. Employees need to feel trusted and valued to succeed—and micromanaging communicates the opposite.

Characteristics of awesome employees that grow their managers

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It takes a lot to recruit and maintain top talent; as a manager I have always been grateful for those special employees who came along and just get it. They understand the power of cause and effect, drive the company forward, and know exactly what they need to do for advancement and rewards.
Only a worthy company can retain them and afford them.
These amazing employees share several common behaviors which they seem to do effortlessly. Here are those behaviors, plus advice to help you help your great employees become even more amazing.

1. They Enthusiastically Learn All Aspects of the Business
They understand they're part of something bigger and more worthwhile than just their job, so they learn the skills to positively impact multiple areas of the company.
What you can do: Invest in training on business basics like accounting,marketing, and management and give your employees easy access to those opportunities.

2. They Help Steward the Company
They treat the company as if it were theirs, making prudent decisions about expense and opportunity. They have an ability to assess risk vs. reward in the long term.
What you can do:Be transparent, sharing your vision and philosophy to help employees make the right decisions.

3. They Generate Viable Opportunities
You don't have to be in sales or marketing to help a company grow. Strong networkers from all divisions see company growth as a collective effort and constantly keep their eyes open for ways to more than pay for themselves.
What you can do: Make sure all your employees understand your value proposition and can easily identify opportunities. Then reward them openly for their efforts.

4. They Resolve Issues Before They Become Issues
Amazing employees find ways to pro-actively improve systems, creating positive change even when the boss has not yet asked for it.
What you can do: Communicate a clear written vision of where the company is going and encourage initiative so people feel safe and empowered to make change.

5. They Tell It Like It Is
Amazing employees understand that hiding bad news helps no one. They tell people what's necessary before major damage is done, and they find kind ways to have those uncomfortable conversations.
What you can do: Foster an open communication environment where truth is not just encouraged but required.

6. They Demonstrate High Standards With Low Maintenance
Amazing employees quietly drive their own high performance. They give bosses peace of mind by performing tasks to the same high standards the leadership demands from itself.
What you can do: Set the example and the tone for high performance with minimal drama. Publicly reward those who can execute in the same manner.

7. They Grow Themselves and Others
These employees lead by example, driving their own career while inspiring others to do the same. They advance without creating animosity or resentment. They see and create their perfect future, and also bring others along.

What you can do: Encourage personal development and peer growth through dedicated group time and learning for career advancement.

8. They Research, Apply, and Refine
No one knows everything, but top employees are the ones who will learn, as opposed to the ones who think they already know everything they need to know.
What you can do: Invest time in exploration and expansive thinking. Encourage people to explore deep visionary projects with time and reward for the findings.

9. They Stimulate Happiness
Amazing employees understand the dynamics of work, life and friendship. Their self-awareness brings out their best in family, friendship and career decisions. They exude positive energy even in stressful times and share it around, making for a happier office.
What you can do: Create an environment where people can openly express themselves. Encourage them to work hard in fulfilling ways and achieve their dreams.

10. They Facilitate Amazing Bosses
Amazing employees make me grow as a manager. They know their value, and make me want to be worthy of working with somebody of such high caliber…though they are too humble to say so, of course.
What you can do: Make effort to genuinely show appreciation for employees who show the above behaviors, so people feel their value and grow to full potential. Then they will do the same for you.

The importance of doing nothing

Tweeting on the ferry, blogging on the train, chatting on the subway, skypying on the bus, emailing at work. We communicate, constantly, everywhere. Every day I see people in Manhattan messaging while walking, crossing the street, up and down the stairs, on the elevator, in the bathroom and even while driving (yikes!).
The social urge of communication has grown exponentially in the past decade and is now filling every idle moment of our lives.
Some may argue that this continuous communication is annoying and mostly useless, it makes people unfocused and distracted. Some may say that it is a way of relaxing, of feeling always in contact with somebody. The obvious fact is that these compulsive activities are occupying some specific spaces in our day, spaces that otherwise would be, or would seem to be, empty.
 In the visual arts, the urge of the artist of filling every empty space with details is called horror vacui, the fear of emptiness. The resulting style is frequently overcrowded and suffocating, and not surprisingly, it is originally the artistic style of mentally ill people.
Perhaps some spaces are meant to be left empty, to give harmony and breath to the whole picture of our day.
While endeavoring to use every single moment of “blank” time to indulge in addictive and distractive habits, indeed something does get lost.
As a software engineer, my work requires intense focus on problems for long periods of time. The more I grow older and (hopefully) wiser, the more I appreciate the few pauses and moments of idleness in my day and protect them from any other casual distraction. When riding the train home, for instance, I make it a point to do nothing else, not to force upon myself any phone calls, e-mails, video games or activities other than being aware of my surroundings.
It takes a good self-awareness to understand the importance of doing nothing.

Have you been corrupt (Part 2)

The current administration has devoted a lot effort to fighting corruption. I believe that we can move from curing the symptoms to treating the disease. Eventually swatting “flies” and beating “tigers” will develop into an anti-corruption system. It’s been said recently that future anti-corruption campaigns will not only arrest those who accept bribes, but will also detain the bribers. Really, if no one offers bribes, how could anyone accept bribes? However, long-term corruption has nurtured a deep culture of corruption, a sense of “custom” and “habit.” Corruption can’t be eliminated through an “anti-corruption storm” and an overnight reform of the system. Getting rid of corruption will rely on raising the quality of the citizens and awakening public awareness.
When we blindly complain about, criticize, and curse the corruption of the system and of officials, why don’t we search our own conscience and examine our own responsibilities and duties? Yes, we are the powerless; of course we don’t have the power to be corrupt. But even the powerless have a sort of power. We have the power not to bow and scape to those who hold the official seals. We have the power to say no to those judges who accept bribes and issue unjust rulings. We have the power to fight to the end against corrupt officials, to report and expose them. If we start with ourselves, and resist the “corruption” that comes from within or beside us, then the corrupt “flies” will have no place to hide, and the corrupt “tigers” will become true paper tigers.
Have you been corrupt today? Tomorrow, will you silently accept, permit, or cooperate in others’ corruption? When will you be ready to fight corruption?

Have you been corrup today? (Part 1)

I must have read at least 50 essays on anti-corruption in the past few weeks. Looking back, I realize that all of them are critiques of the system, officials, and the use of public power. Obviously there’s nothing wrong with this, because the source of corruption must be power.
However, if all corruption cases are attributed to the system, the use of power and officials, does that mean that we can relax and ignore our own responsibilities? Can we forgive or even find excuses for our role in corruption?
As a whole, the problem of corruption is caused by ‘them,’ not by ‘us.’ But does that mean that we are completely innocent?
Today, I’d like to talk not about ‘their’ problems but about our problems — our own corruption problems. First of all, I’d like to know: have you done something corrupt today? On average, how often do you cooperate in the corrupt acts of those with a little power?  Don’t answer too quickly.
Let's digest that as we aim to flip the coin and do a self-appraisal!!