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Esther Derby has the right idea in Stop Demotivating Me!. Some of my previous posts on this topic: Stop Demotivating Employees - Problems Caused by Performance Appraisal - Why Extrinsic Motivation Fails… Esther’s article points out a number of problems with how many managers operate:
Employees aren’t capable of making good decisions. Layers of signatures, long lead times for standard items, and lag times for signatures and approvals not only slow down work and frustrate people—they communicate that people aren’t capable of making reasonable decisions.
These kind of examples are so sad. Managers reacting to special causes as if they are common causes (or as though talk without action is worthwhile). It is as if Dr. Deming hadn’t talked about this stuff 50 years ago and they shouldn’t know any better. Here are some books to help you learn what every manager should know so you don’t make the same mistakes. If that list is too long start with just one: The Leader’s Handbook.
What should a manager do? Eliminate the de-motivators. Provide coaching (building the capacity or employees and the organization). And manage a system to allow people to take pride in what they do. Holding pizza parties, pep talks, displaying posters and annual performance reviews are not what is needed. But those actions are really easy so that is what some people do - instead of what is needed. How sad.
via: Motivation, Demotivation, and Constructive Conflict
Related: People are Our Most Important Asset - The Joy of Work 
- Motivating Employees. For those that like their learning short and sweet, see this motivational poster.
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August 18th, 2007 at 12:44 pm
We each play a role within a system. Yes there are constraints on your actions based on the role you are playing. Does a security guard empower the CEO to enter the building?…
November 29th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
[...] to respect employees (and have that visible in the management decisions made in the organization). Stopping the demotivation would be a big step for many organizations. [...]
October 7th, 2008 at 7:51 am
I still see far to many managers thinking in a theory x way - 50 years after McGregor’s The Human Side of Enterprise. If there was not such a systemic failure to apply effective management practices and such a desire to substitute motivation for management I wouldn’t see this as a big deal…