As an employer or manager, it’s important to be aware of your actions and avoid behaviors that can have a negative impact on the morale of your subordinates, such as:
Pitting employees against each other – While pitting your employees against one another as part of an internal competition may seem like a healthy way to motivate your staff, this tactic can quickly turn counterproductive for all but the winner. Competitions such as this often result in resentment and divisiveness among coworkers.
Publically calling out employees – Employees make mistakes and fail to meet expectations from time to time. However, publicly admonishing them in these instances only serves to create an environment of anxiety and fear where your staff walks on eggshells. No employee wants to be made an example of and be embarrassed in front of their colleagues.
Holding good performers back – High-performing employees can pose a conundrum for employers: their performance merits a promotion but they are so good at what they do it will be difficult to replace them. If you want to keep employees, you must allow for upward mobility. Never hold someone back in spite of their performance.
Taking measures to foster and promote employee morale is a cost-effective way to keep engagement up and turnover down.
