The Tribune

By IAN FERGUSON

There are so many things that can hamper progress and stagnate productivity in today’s workplace. As I move around companies, I see classic cases of low employee morale, deflated team members and staff who have emotionally checked out of the workplace.

Their lethargic, lifeless bodies show up to work each day, but their hearts are far removed from the activities to which they put their hands. It might help this discussion if you took a step back and began to identify reasons why employees find themselves in these positions. Here are some of the common responses:

• My team members are the pits and not pulling their weight.

• My leaders and executives seem to be clueless, and have no idea how to advance the company.

• The unskilled and incompetent seem to be getting all the recognition and promotions.

• My personal bills seem to be getting greater and my pay is seemingly going nowhere.

• No one rewards and recognises the work I do.

• I have been falsely accused of something I didn’t do.

• They are holding me in for mistakes I made in the past, and it haunts my permanent record.

• My good is often badly spoken of, and people perceive my ambition as treachery, and my passion and drive as brown nosing.

• A spirit of corruption has overtaken the workplace, and I seem to be the odd one out in trying to give an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay.

To everyone in the workforce reading this, something on this checklist resonates with you. We have all been here at some point and time in our careers. Many choose to live here and succumb to the pressures. I thus leave three simple words of encouragement to lift employees out of the doldrums of employee morale crisis. Here they are:

1. Find projects you enjoy and throw your all into making them happen. Reignite your passion and remind yourself why you took the job in the first place. It is easy to get sidetracked by the mundane and foolishness that takes place in the office world day to day, but rediscovering what makes you tick at work is vital to your success, happiness at work and productivity.

2. Rehearse the standards, ethics and morals by which you live. Keep them at the fore and do not allow anyone to distract you or encourage you to abandon them.

Far too many have allowed office issues and problems to cause them to become evil, vicious, vindictive and unethical people. Do not ever let this be said of you. Hold on to your integrity, name and reputation.

1. Be wary about adopting a negative tone towards leaders, employees or the business in general. Do not be caught with negative words in your mouth, and do not allow the conversations around you to take on a negative tone. Always be the voice of reason and the optimistic force in your work space.

• NB: Ian R. Ferguson is a talent management and organisational development consultant, having completed graduate studies with regional and international universities. He has served organsations, both locally and globally, providing relevant solutions to their business growth and development issues. He may be contacted at tcconsultants@coralwave.com.