Their complaints fit the bill for management book with the title of this article on its cover page. In some cases, I could believe the extreme negative attitudes of some managers towards their team members. It cannot be lack of skills alone that results in these negative attitudes, it has got to do with personality factors that requires professional help to rectify. Here are few examples:
One of my students once told me with a distorted face (he was still feeling the anguish of the moment after several months) that he had prepared a report on how to enhance the marketing of a new brand. He then went to see his manager and presented the report to him and waited for him to read it. He expected to be commended on a several days hard work to do his research and put his ideas together into what he thought to be a balanced report. After reading the first two paragraphs of the report, the manager, without saying a single word, turned to a shredder he had near him and fed it with the report.
While I was instructing a workshop on 'strategic HR' to a group of managers, few of them were very bitter commenting on the positive examples I gave on people oriented managers who respect and try to satisfy their people's needs. They said they have never heard a word of recognition from their managers for the last year. All they heard was criticism and expressions of disappointment without enough explanation or giving them a chance to discuss.
In some companies I visited to conduct a 'gap analysis' I was surprised to find out that employees performance evaluation was not discussed with them. In some cases the employees' were invited to only sign their performance evaluation reports which became a routine meaningless action.
In other cases the performance evaluation form does not include a developmental part where employees' areas of improvement are noted, discussed, and a plan is drawn and agreed upon between the employee and his/her manager.
Some managers, instead of expressing their concern about their employees' performance, cut themselves off them as an expression of their disappointment.
Managers, in some cases that came to my attention, 'throw their employees to the wolves' when a deficiency occurs, even if they were a direct outcome of carrying out the manager's instruction.
Organizational politics are sometimes so high to the extent that employees find themselves obliged to join a band wagon in order to survive. Some managers feel more strong having more people acting as their mouthpiece.
One of the extreme examples is when the manager compete with his team members, and try to belittle their value when they express their wish to pursue their studies getting higher degrees. They overload them with work to the extend that they do not find time to study or prepare for their examinations. Even when they try to apply some of their learned skills on the job, they were not allowed to do so.
Playing members of their teams against each other is a game some managers play as a way of knowing what is going on. They foster a culture of individuality and selfishness and become a referee who exercises more control over his employees.
the above example emphasize the importance of selection and hiring of employees as well as the danger of promoting unqualified personnel to managerial levels where they acquire more power and influence over people's behaviors and attitudes. It also emphasizes the strategic role of HR as a business partner in the organization, and not just a service function that provides the other functions with the services they need.
Demotivating Employees - To learn more about this author, visit Dr. Fathi El-Nadi's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 |
Related Articles |
|
Leadership Style and Motivating Employees
|
| |
In a “we want it now” age, the business owner and manager can more easily create a motivating environment that satisfies security, meaningful and supportive relationships. Take a look at your leadership style and t...
|
Be It Resolved, Analysts are Worthless
|
| |
The following email from the head of global equity research at HSBC (my long-ago employer) to London analysts is being called, at least in the U.K., crass and demotivating. I have to confess, I don't actually find ...
|
Recognition and the Underperformer
|
| |
I am frequently asked, "should you recognize underperformers?" The short answer is only if you want them to perform. However, this is a delicate issue that requires a bit of careful handling. This article will help ...
|
"Everyone knows Sales Force Incentives Dramatically Increase Sales"
|
| |
Sales force incentives are a vital part of business and one of the best reasons is that they work. This is one of the few motivators that can rev up a sales force for pennies on the dollar. However it has to be well...
|
Grow your Business by Incentivizing your Workers to Go Green
|
| |
Do you undertake eco-friendly projects at home? Well, why not bring those same ideas into the workplace and at the same time, help your business grow?
There are several good reasons to incentivize your employees ...
|
|
|
Dr. Fathi El-Nadi
(Visit Dr. Fathi's Website)
Certified Crosby College TQM Instructor;
Management & HR Development Senior
Consultant to a number of Egyptian & Arab
enterprises across the Middle East. -
Rated by The Society for Human Resources
Management (SHRM) as Senior HR
Professional due to his significant
contributions to prominent Multinationals
in the US, The Gulf, and Egypt. - Had held
senior Management, HR, and Training
positions in SOM, Johnson Wax, General
Motors, and Bristol Myers Squibb. -
Currently teaching Management, HR,
Strategic Management, and OB at a member
of prominent private universities in
Egypt. - Management & HR Development
consultant to USAID, CIDA, DANIDA & IFC on
development projects in Egypt. -
Professor, Strategic Management & HR
Development (The Arab Academy for Science
& Technology / AUC) - Consultant & Member,
The National Committee for Faculty &
Leadership Development Project (FLDP), a 7
year World Bank Funded project to enhance
the quality of Higher Education in Egypt.
- Consultant to a number of Egyptian State
universities on Strategic Planning &
Quality Improvement projects.
|
|
 |
|
|
Dr. Fathi El-Nadi's
Complete
List Of
Human-Resources
Articles
|
|
|
If you enjoyed this article, get Dr. Fathi El-Nadi's Complete List of Human-Resources Articles For FREE!
|
| |
|
|
|