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10 Reasons Why Morale May Be Low in Your Office



    

     For companies that pay attention to it, the condition of morale is an essential part of determining if the company’s environment is healthy and poised for growth.  When morale is high, people are ready to come to work and be productive.  Alternatively, when morale is low, people (mostly) come in, and they perform the minimum until they can escape at the end of the day.
     In a low morale environment, it’s easy to find a lethargic, stagnant staff largely going through the motions but not inspired to color outside the lines.  The resentment felt throughout the office is as heavy as a winter coat weighed down by a cold, rainy day.  So why do these dismal, drab feelings occur?  What is causing morale to suffer near the bottom of the pile of office ailments?
     No doubt there are a plethora of reasons, but we’ll try to narrow them down to the top ten.  See if you recognize any of the ten in your work environment:



1.    An overbearing boss. A boss who controls, commands, and micromanages is probably the most common reason employees start losing zeal for their jobs. Bosses who fit this bill need to lighten up. Motivate. Don’t dominate.
2.    A boss who does not listen to input from others. Many employees want to be able to tell the boss when they feel something isn’t working. Too often, if bosses are married to a process they created, they aren’t likely to entertain feedback from someone they feel is shooting down their idea. Rejected often enough, employees won’t feel like their opinions matter so they stop contributing, and some grow resentful.
3.    A boss who stifles creativity. For those employees whose bright minds are constantly clicking through possibilities for improvements or something new, they thrive on testing out some of those possibilities. But when a boss regularly dismisses their ideas, their vibrancy dims, and they look for another environment where they can shine.
4.    Employees who don’t feel valued because they receive little recognition. Almost everyone wants to be appreciated for the hard work they do. But many times they are overlooked—inadvertently and intentionally. Great bosses actively seek opportunities to praise their employees.
5.    Trust is missing and little effort is made to find it. When trust is M.I.A., the environment can easily slip into hostility. Ignoring that it is a problem is like feeding oxygen to a raging inferno. Eventually everyone gets burned.
 

     Want more?  Sign up for our monthly newsletter at www.thesharpersolution.com/enewsletter.htm.  The entire article will be sent to you.  Also, leave us reasons you've experienced low morale in your workplace.
     If you want us to help with ways to improve morale, contact us at Sharper Development Solutions, Inc. by clicking here:  http://thesharpersolution.com/contact_us.htm.
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