We have all at some point been in a workplace where there is a feeling of negativity about the place. It is a horrible feeling, and it seems to hang over everyone like a dark cloud. As soon as one person starts to feel a little better, they mix with others who are still feeling bad, and the whole cycle repeats and builds. If it isn’t controlled, you end up with a demoralised and demotivated workforce. Productivity drops, staff turnover increases, stress levels and days lost through illness can rise, and business suffers. In short, a negative and demotivated workplace is an unhealthy one.
The health analogy is rather a good one because, just like a disease, the best cure is inoculation and a healthy lifestyle. The best way to cure a demotivated workforce is never to allow it to become one in the first place. Just as we have probably all experienced that horrible feeling you get from a negative workplace, I am sure you have also seen the opposite.
Let me give you an example.
I recently went to a restaurant for a meal with a large group. We had a great time, the food was good, and the staff were excellent. Nothing was too much trouble, and the waiter even found time to have a little bit of fun with the children. When we asked if the chef would do something different with a meal, the lovely lady waiting table said she was sure it would be fine because she was actually one of the regular chefs. At the end of the evening, we left a large tip and specifically went over and made sure the kitchen team got a drink at the end of the night as a thank you. The manager explained that several people had called in sick, but the team had rallied round and covered the night. No grumbling, no complaints, just teamwork and pulling together. He said leaving enough for a drink specifically for them would make it all worthwhile.
He lied. It wasn’t our little tip that motivated that team; it was the manager himself and the structure around them. The fact that he didn’t even think to take credit for it spoke volumes about how influential he was. What spoke even more, was the glimpse I got of the service corridor. It was lined with training certificates, thank you notes, employee of the month awards and pictures of social events with the staff.
Motivation
Motivation and a long-term positive approach in a workforce isn’t about any single element and, despite what a lot of people think, so long as people are paid fairly, money isn’t a big motivator either. Just as a negative environment is generated by multiple issues so is a positive one. Training, constant management engagement, development and feedback reviews, and social activities all combine to promote a healthy and engaged workplace.
Just to focus on one element of this for a moment, though. When I looked it the corridor at that restaurant, the training certificates were numerous and very visible. Very few employees want a job where it is static and repetitive. Training and improvement programmes are a good way to not only develop the team but also engage them in the process of their own development. As we all recognise, ownership leads to motivation. An individualised training programme created with the input of the employee will often generate a very productive result.
Motivated teams such as the one in my restaurant are often ultimately a result of some simple measures implemented by a good, engaged manager.