7 Deadly Management Mistakes that Ruin Employee Motivation

Put yourself in the shoes of an employee who gives it their best shot every time but still does not get the recognition, appreciation, and reward he or she deserves.

Yes, you are passionate about your job and that is what drives you through tough situations but if that pattern continues over time, it can negatively impact your motivation level.

To add insult to injury, your co-worker who lags in productivity and performance gets a promotion to a higher job role.

All this happens when you have a manager who makes many management mistakes that can have dire consequences for employee productivity and motivation levels.

Willian L McKnight once said:

“Management that is destructively critical when mistakes are made kills initiative. And its essential that we have many people with initiative if we are to continue to grow.”

In this article, you will learn about seven management mistakes that can kill your employee motivation.

1. Micromanaging Instead of Delegating

There is nothing worse for an employee than to see his manager micro-manage.

It sends a clear signal to employees that the manager doesn’t trust them. This brings employees in a negative state of mind. With that mindset, they can never be productive. If you want your employees to show their talent and skills, then you should give them freedom and empower them by giving them responsibilities and delegating tasks instead of micromanaging them.

When you delegate your tasks to them and share the responsibility, it shows them that you trust them and have faith in their capabilities.

2. Ignoring Your Employee's Career Goals

Do you know why people switch jobs?

There are many reasons for it but one of the main reasons why people switch jobs is because they don’t get career growth opportunities at their current company. Every employee dreams of climbing the organization ladder and reaching the top but if you don’t provide them this opportunity, they will start looking for alternatives to fulfill their dream.

Every employee is different.

Some value training and development programs more while others prefer job learning. Talk to your employees, ask what their career goals are, and think about ways you can use to help them achieve their career goals.

This will make them believe that you are serious about career development of employees.

3. Not Rewarding Deserving Employees

“Everyone wants to be appreciated, so if you appreciate someone, don’t keep it a secret.”–Mary Kay Ash

How would you feel if you did all the hard work and someone else took all the credit? Bad, right?

That is how employees feel when they see others get the due share of their credit. There is nothing more depressing than seeing someone else eat the fruit of the tree you have planted.

Always recognize the effort of your employees and give them their share of the credit by appreciating their efforts and rewarding them. This will keep them motivated and highly engaged at work.

4. Mishandling Conflicts

Irrespective of where you work, you might come across people who come from different backgrounds and have varying points of view.

This can lead to conflicts in the workplace. Since most workplaces are diversified, we also see differences in opinion which can lead to conflicts if not handled properly.

As a manager, your goal is to get to the root of the conflicts and act as a mediator to resolve the issue. It is important for businesses to keep all their team members on the same page so they can act cohesively to achieve a common goal. Conflicts can prevent that.

Don’t let these conflicts get out of hand and destroy your team coordination.

5. Rigid and Restrictive Workplace Environment

There is nothing wrong with enforcing some restrictions on your employees to a certain degree, but you should never go overboard with it.

Give your employees some breathing space and offer them the best work-life balance with flexible working hours instead of forcing them to come to work every morning. You can enable them to work from home or work remotely.

According to research, employees are much more productive and happier with their jobs when they are allowed to work from home.

Avoid rigidity and offer employees flexibility. Let employees choose whether they want to work from home or from office and you will see a positive change in their productivity and efficiency.

6. Making Excuses and Blaming Other

Everything is fine when things go according to the plan but what if it does not? What if a slip-up happens?

That is where the character of the manager is put to the test. If your manager starts blaming others, doesn’t accept the failure and feedback, then it shows their incompetence.

Good managers always take responsibility for their actions and decisions and are the first ones to admit their mistakes. Even though there is nothing wrong if the manager is blaming the right person you should never find excuses to hide behind and cover up for your mistakes.

7. Abusing Their Powers

Just because you are the boss or manager does not mean that you can misuse power.

Employees want to be treated fairly and value it too.

If you treat them harshly and abuse your powers, they will retaliate or leave their jobs. Employees hate being dictated by their higher-ups and if you act like a dictator, they will obey you due to fear, not because of respect or inspiration.

As a manager, you should set an example for others to follow so your subordinates can follow suit. Act like a friend does not like a dictator who passes on orders from the desk. Ensure transparency and hold everyone accountable for their actions.

Establish a system where everyone is accountable for their action so they can be judged accordingly to their performance.

Which is the biggest management mistake you have ever made which had the worst impact on your employee motivation? Let us know in the comments section below.

Illustration made by Storyset from www.flaticon.com