the economy is cyclical, there is simply no escape from this fact. And while these last few years have seen an abundance of economic growth, we must remember the wisdom found on the Ring of King Solomon who said:
"This too shall pass."
In fact, for those who have only entered the workforce in recent decades, they have never experienced an economic downturn or recession. The last one started in 2007 and lasted until 2009.((The economic crisis is (officially) over)) so it's safe to assume that for a significant number of employees and managers, the next economic downturn will be their first time dealing with the stress of mandatory layoffs , budget cuts and reorganization. Team building is not easy, even in good times motivation can be hard to maintain. Just place an order for Amazon's collection of books on how to motivate employees, you'll find thousands on the subject. But, now add in hard times for business, industry or the economy and you have a whole new set of problems. If earlier your employees felt safe enough that if they performed well, they could expect to be at work tomorrow. Right now they can't, and this insecurity is an additional level of stress that will affect morale and productivity. And while it may be tempting to take on the attitude that they should just be grateful to just have a job during these times, that would be a mistake. Fear is actually a demotivating factor. Of course, everyone wants to keep their job, especially during hard times, but insecurity and fear of distractions that damage performance and reduce efficiency. As a leader, keeping a team motivated during difficult times can be challenging. Issues that could be minor annoyances in good times can become magnified by issues that affect the motivation and performance of the entire team. Here are 7 factors that demotivate employees and 7 ways to solve them:
1. Fear
We've touched on this before, insecurity and fear go hand in hand. Fear is completely natural, and most of the time a good human emotion. It is designed to provide safety in hazardous situations. Fear only becomes a problem when it prevents us from making profitable decisions. We can imagine how our ancestors encountered a saber tooth tiger and became so paralyzed with fear that they ate it. In today's world, you are much more likely to become paralyzed by internal fears than external ones, like a tiger, but it is no less debilitating. These inner fears start out as legitimate interests. Times are hard, others are fired or fired, you could be next. But, as is often the case with fears, they grow and become exaggerated in the mind. This is when fear can disrupt team motivation and impact performance.
What can you do
From a leader's perspective, you must understand that most of your employee's exaggerated fears come from an inaccurate assessment of the conditions. From their point of view, decisions about who gets let go may seem arbitrary and inexplicable. It's the seemingly randomness of these decisions that fuels the anxiety and fear I might be next. So, as a manager, it is very important that you constantly communicate with your team on the status of the company and their place in it. Even if it means letting them know they're being considered for the next round of layoffs. Letting your employees know exactly where they stand, even if it's not good, is better for motivation than being uncertain about not knowing. It can also be a great way to motivate your team into action. Especially if you can give them specific goals to achieve that will help their chances of getting the job.
2. Unclear Goals
In good times, a person can be happy to just sit back and do their job with little thought about how they affect the company as a whole. In difficult times, when you're asking your employees to do more with less, it's important that they understand how each member contributes to the team's success.
What can you do
As a leader, it is your job to set clear, achievable goals for the group as well as the individuals in that group. This is especially important in difficult times, as often the organization's priorities will change. During tough economic times, new businesses and expansions are often cut back or eliminated in order to focus on the "core" business. When this happens, you may need to completely switch teams to focus in order to save yours and everyone else's jobs. But here, again, communication with your team members is key. Keep them informed of any change in purpose and how it affects their individual roles on the team. As a leader, you can really increase your team's motivation if everyone has a clear understanding of the goals and their role in achieving those goals.
3. Lack of autonomy
It may seem logical that when times get tough, you should take more control or supervision of your teams more closely. After all, the pressure is on to get good results. But study after study shows that a lack of autonomy kills both individual and group motivation. Three whales of motivation)) in fact, giving your team more autonomy is one of the best ways to increase motivation and results.
What can you do
Go against your instincts for control. Goading is guaranteed to reduce the motivation of the team. Now, with that being said, giving your team or employees autonomy doesn't mean they can do whatever they want. As a leader, you must set the baseline or conditions that they must work under. Things like timelines, budget constraints, and the functionality of the final product should be known to your team. But once those conditions are set, let your team decide how to deal with the problem. This allows creativity and gives a sense of pride and responsibility for the finished product, which is a very good motivation.
4. Change
Human beings are creatures of habit, we get used to a routine and stick to it, even if what we are doing is not beneficial. Having a routine that provides a sense of comfort and security is critical to our mental health. That is why the psychologist, please note that all changes produce stress. Even good changes can be quite stressful, think of getting married, divorced, having children, or getting promoted. There's no way around it, job changes and stress. Now put yourself in a position where your industry is in an economic downturn and things have to change in order to survive. For an industry veteran, the old ways of doing things are outdated and a whole new set of skills must be learned. For a new employee, the job they may not be similar to the job they were hired for. In short, the old comfortable routines have been interrupted and keeping the team motivated on these quicksands is difficult.
What can you do
Be vigilant and look for signs. Change is hard for everyone, but some people are more resilient than others. If you notice one of your employees is especially important to deal with the situation. Often there are problems in a person's personal life that increase the stress they feel. In those cases, temporarily reducing their workload or giving them an extra day can help reduce stress and increase motivation. For everyone else, there's a good rule of thumb: "the more information you can share, the better." Nothing kills motivation and undermines security more than a lack of knowledge.
5. Uncertainty in short-term goals
Ambiguity is a killer of motivation. In order for any team to function well, each member must have a clear idea of the team's ultimate or long-term goal. From there, each team member is given tasks to contribute to the completion of that goal. In turn, each participant can break down their task into separate steps or short-term goals, which, upon completion, are added as a whole. But what happens when we change the original long-term goal? Even if everyone understands and accepts the new goal, they must have a clear understanding of their new role in achieving it. It will be similar to starting a new job without any training or guidance from a superior.
What can you do
Anytime the mission or goal changes, it is important for the leader to assign each team member a well-defined role within the group. This should include responsibilities as well as expectations for their tasks. Depending on the individual, you may also need to help them break down tasks into short-term goals on a timeline. As long as your team understands its new goals and members have a clear understanding of their personal responsibility in achieving the goal, there should be no problem with ambiguity.
6. Burnout
During difficult times, we ask our staff to do more with less, just comes with territory. But the result of this can be burnout. According to the World Health Organization, work-related burnout is defined as: ((World Health Organization: ICD-11 for mortality and morbidity, statistics))
Burnout is a syndrome conceptualized as the result of chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully dealt with. It is characterized by three dimensions: 1) sensations of energy exhaustion or fatigue; 2) increased mental distance from work, or feelings of negativism and cynicism associated with work; and 3) decreased professional performance. Burnout refers specifically to phenomena within a professional framework and should not be used to describe experiences in other areas of life.
Over time, burnout will cripple your team's motivation, morale, and performance. Burnout symptoms include:
- Become cynical or data at work.
- Coming to work and the trouble begins.
- Becomes irritable or impatient with colleagues, customers, or clients.
- Not enough energy to be constantly productive.
- Being unable to concentrate.
- Lack of achievement satisfaction.
- Feeling frustrated at work.
- Using food, drugs or alcohol to feel better, or just don't feel.
- Concerned about unexplained headaches, stomach or bowel problems, or other physical complaints.
What can you do
Managers should be aware of these symptoms and take action as soon as possible. Some things you can do to help with burnout include:
- Talk to your team members about their workload and stress. Do they have any thoughts on how to make things better or more efficient? Maybe a weekly report they could be a bi-weekly report instead.
- Increase the use of non-monetary rewards such as praise (both public and private). Recognition programs as an employee of the week, month, year. And even the establishment of "informal Fridays" can be to lift the spirit.
- Increase the use of budget cash rewards, like donuts in the morning, buying lunch for the team and taking occasionally on Friday afternoons.
- Flexible hours are another great way to deal with burnout. This gives the employee the opportunity to spend more time with their family and also gives them a sense of control over their time.
7. Feeling unappreciated
During difficult times, senior management will often tighten the reins on employees. And while they see it as a way to control costs and focus on key issues, it can be daunting for the average employee. Whereas management is used to be open to new ideas and suggestions from those in the "trenches" now more and more decisions are made unilaterally from above. This stifles creativity and turns employees into cogs in the machine.
What can you do
Request changes to parameters and scope of work as soon as possible from management. Then give them as much decision making power as you can. They may not be happy that their budget is cut by 20%, but if they have a say in what money is allocated, it's much easier to swallow pills.
Bottom Line
Motivation is a tricky thing, what motivates one person may not motivate. But as a manager or leader, it's your job to manage your team for the best possible outcome. In tough times, whether they're caused by the economy or management oversights, being able to motivate your team is critical to survival. We've already talked about team motivation challenges during tough times and some of the ways you can deal with it. But, when you boil it all can be summed up in one word, communication. Have open communication with your team, clarifies their job responsibilities and roles within the company. It reduces the fear and anxiety associated with the inevitable changes that take place at this time. And finally, it allows your team to have a clear understanding of the challenges facing the company and a plan to overcome them.
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