Bosses can quickly kill employee morale if they aren’t careful. Don’t do these 9 no-no.
A motivated employee is a productive employee. An even the best boss can unintentionally muzzle employee’s
enthusiasm with some common communication errors. Jeff Haden posted on Inc.com 9 ways a boss can abuse her power, snuffing out the fire of even the most diehard employee.
1) Pressure employees to attend “social” events. Any time your employees are with people they work with, it’s like they’re at work. Worst case, whatever happens there doesn’t stay there; it comes back to work.
Embarrassing behavior aside, some people just don’t want to socialize outside work. And that’s their choice… unless you do something that can make them feel like they should attend. Then it no longer feels like they have a choice, and what you intended as a positive get-together is anything but.
And keep in mind that “pressure” can be as simple as saying, “Hey, Mark, I hope you can come to the Christmas party… I hope we see you there…” While you may simply be letting Mark know how much you enjoy his company, if he doesn’t want to go he hears, “Mark, you better be at the party or I will be very disappointed in you.”
If you really want to hold outside social events, pick themes that work for your employees. Have Santa attend a kids’ Christmas party. Have a picnic at a theme park. Take anyone who wants to go to a ballgame. Pick one or two themes that cover the majority of your employees’ interests, and let that be that. Never try to force togetherness or camaraderie. It doesn’t work.
2) Ask an employee to do something you already asked another employee to do. You assign Joe a project. The day you needed it completed you realize Joe hasn’t finished… and probably won’t. You’re frustrated with Joe, and you really need it done, so you plop it on Mary’s desk. You know she’ll get it done.
Maybe so, but she’ll resent it.
Leave Mary alone. Deal with Joe.
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