Morale Isn't A Luxury

  ProjectsAtWork  

Maintain a positive work environment by watching out for these motivation killers.

During economic uncertainty, there is a tendency to view morale as a luxury, says Betsy Guthrie, PMP, executive performance improvement consultant for Provant Project Management in Novato, Calif. Big mistake.

"Motivation is the single greatest influence on how people perform," she says. "With a little awareness, management can buffer their most productive people from morale killers and keep them productive when they really need them."

Avoid these common errors:

Poor physical environment:   Living in a cubicle city of "prairie-dogging" can interrupt focus. Establish guidelines for when visiting is or isn't appropriate, Guthrie says.

Management manipulation:   "People need to know up front the truth and that it's not being manipulated," says Linda Balestrieri, project manager for Fireman's Fund Insurance Company in Novato, Calif.

Overload:   Be realistic about deadlines. "People tend to dump work on the productive staff," Guthrie says.

Lack of involvement:   "It creates the impression that the manager doesn't care about the team or respect it enough to want people's contributions," Guthrie explains.

Lack of feedback:   "If you just leave people out there and …

Please log in or sign up below to read the rest of the article.