Is low employee morale affecting your business? If so, there could be serious repercussions for your company. Unhappy employees will result in a multitude of negative consequences, and you could be at the start of a slippery slope to ruin.
Low morale means lower productivity, which ultimately results in fewer profits. It can also have an impact on customer service levels and can see once-loyal clients leaving in droves. And finally, when it comes to replacing poor performing staff, who is going to choose a company where everyone is miserable?
Make no mistake about it – low morale is a serious issue, and you need to fix things sooner rather than later. But what, exactly, are the common causes of low morale? And how can you start addressing the problem? Let’s take a closer look and uncover the causes of low morale in the workplace.
Inconsistent goals
Are you always moving the goalposts for your workers? If so, the always changing goals are going to have an adverse impact on their performance. Put yourself in your employee’s shoes, and understand that they are trying to do a good job. If you reward them by discarding the original measure of success for something else, how will that go down? Ensure you have clear goals in place that enables your employees to hit targets and taste success.
Confusing expectations
Unless you are giving your employees clear guidelines on how to do their jobs, you can’t expect them to do it to your liking – it’s that simple. Employees are not mindreaders, and you can’t afford for them to go days, months, or even years without exact and precise instructions. Be sure to outline their responsibilities in a contract, and give them enough opportunity to learn the necessary skills they need to do their work. You will find that this simple practice will make everyone’s position clear, and you will keep morale to an adequate level.
No systems to measure performance
Of course, having ideas of measuring and managing employee performance is one thing, but having the systems in place to do so is another altogether. Make sure you are looking for performance management solutions that are relevant to your company and its goals. Once you have employees on board, you will have a history of their problems, issues, wants, and needs, and will be able to give them what they require to solve them.
Lack of progression opportunities
People thrive when they are able to realize their potential. Unfortunately, the reverse is also true – those who never get a chance to progress or receive training to further themselves will often sink into boredom and despair. If you want to attract the brightest, motivated talent possible, it is essential that you give employees an opportunity to better themselves. Failure to do so in this day and age will make you out to be something of a business dinosaur.
No communication
When employees are having problems, they need to be able to access the boss to explain them. However, they won’t be able to do so if you don’t have an open door policy, or, at the very least, open lines of communication. In simple terms, the problems people have will fester, and you will also miss out on creative and innovative ideas to improve your business. Good luck!
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