Employees who believe that management is concerned about them as a whole person – not just an employee – are more productive, more satisfied, more fulfilled. Satisfied employees mean satisfied customers, which leads to profitability.”

-Anne M. Mulcahy

Can a leader really motivate others?  This is a question that has been asked over the years without a clear answer.  Psychology talks about intrinsic motivators that come from inside an individual, i.e. seeking to go back to school for more knowledge and extrinsic motivators that come from a person’s environment, i.e., bonuses, challenging work, etc.   I don’t believe this is an either/or answer but rather a “both” answer.  In order for a person to be motivated to work at a higher level, they must possess an inner dialogue that wants to improve and an environment that supports that improvement.

While we don’t have much control on the intrinsic motivators that a person needs to succeed, I believe as leaders we can make a big impact on the employee’s environment and therefore their extrinsic motivators.  So what are the three morale killers in an organization?  Read below for the answers:

• Showing favoritism-sometimes it can be difficult for a leader to recognize when they are showing favoritism of one employee over the other.  We don’t always see our actions but clearly going to lunch more often, giving the easier or more challenging work, bonusing one performance more than another, hanging out with a person outside of work hours are all forms of favoritism that kills morale.  Other employees do not see the benefit of going the extra mile when their boss rewards someone else for being a favorite. 

• Not caring for your employees-a great leader needs to know as much as possible about their employees.  Do you know their birthday, work anniversary, and son’s or daughter’s names?  Do you know what sports or hobbies they prefer? Do you know their strengths? Do you show appreciation for their work on a regular basis? When a leader genuinely cares for his or her employees, the relationship begins to feel like a family.  I remember a boss I had years ago who knew my daughter was ill on Friday and asked my Monday morning how she was doing.  Twenty years later I still remember how important and valued her remembering to ask made me feel.

• Lack of challenge- even in small organizations where the promotion ladder is short or nonexistent, employees still need meaningful and challenging work.  Are you able to offer work in an area of strength for the employee? Are highly competent employees able to mentor and train others in their area of strength? Are you able to cross train valuable employees to increase their value to the company?

As the economy gains steam and employee options for work increase, it will become even more critical that you eliminate these three morale killers from you team, department and organization as a whole.

Question For You:

Are you currently favoring one employee over others?  Do you do the bare minimum to get to know your employees and the bare minimum to show appreciation for their work? Do employees stay stagnant in their training and work with minimal effort to help them grow personally and professionally?

Action For You:

If you realize that you may be offering more of your time and attention to one employee than another…STOP immediately.  Don’t beat yourself up for this but simply cease doing those things with this employee that you would not do with others.  If you only know your employees superficially, begin creating a list of questions that would help you better understand your employee’s personal and professional life.  Make certain you are not asking any illegal or embarrassing questions like their age or sexual orientation.  Finally do you have continual one-on-one meetings with staff to help you uncover their needs for growing in their positions?  Do you take any steps after these conversations?

“In everyone’s life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit.”

— Albert Schweitzer