One of the key elements of organizational success is motivation among employees. Poorly motivated employees often perform dismally which more often than not leads to failure to achieve the organizational goals and objectives which is a recipe for failure. Employee motivation can be achieved in various ways such as appreciation and recognition, impressive remuneration and perks, promotions among others. In the paper, I will give a personal account of my experiences in my former work place that made me lose motivation and also explain ways that the management could have used to increase motivation among the employees.
I cannot describe my former workplace as conducive for employees because of the authoritative nature of top management. Before joining the company, I was excited because of the idea of how my career would grow from working there. However, it soon became clear that our positions as employees in the firm were quite impersonal and almost invincible. For instance, the communication coming from top management was final and required implementation without negotiation or input from junior employees. With time, going to work seemed like a lifeless chore. My motivation dwindled each time I thought of how my work was not appreciated enough or criticized too much. Working in an organization that bottlenecks ideas and opinions can create the critter state, which I believe was the root cause of my lack of motivation during my former workplace.
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Another reason why I lacked motivation at my workplace was because of the immense unrealistic pressure to meet certain goals and deadlines. Managers and team leaders would set goals without engaging other team players. The goals and individual duties were set, and it was up to someone to formulate their work strategy. This led to delayed results because everyone was working on their own and at their own pace, therefore, creating more work tension. I remember there were days I used to carry my work home so that I could hit my KPI’s and deliver on time to avoid being reprimanded. The burden of carrying all the work frustrations accumulated each day to the extent of accumulating my physical health. The deal-breaker that made me quit my job came shortly after my illness. Even after handing in a doctor’s report that needed me to go slow at work, my workload and working hours remained the same. The intense exhaustion and burnout kicked in again, and that was when I knew the cycle would never end.
I strongly believe that if my former workplace had incorporated proper performance motivators instead of focusing on performance management, I would not have lacked the motivation or quit my job. For example, instead of top management issuing directives about employee performance and duties, they should engage everyone who has a role to play to offer their opinion. This way, each employee can state what they can do to achieve a certain goal while holding themselves accountable. This way, motivation is said to be intrinsic (Comaford, 2018). In addition, I felt like targets achieved were less celebrated, and focus was immediately transferred to flaws and mistakes. This criticism and under appreciation eventually lower your morale to work. Team leaders should focus on engaging everyone instead of just fighting for the productivity of their companies. In addition, the company’s insane working schedule had no room for a social life, let alone an individual development plan (Comaford, 2018). The burnout was contributed by both physical and mental exhaustion, meaning we had no space to unwind. Having individual development plans is an addition that would benefit them and maybe increase productivity (Cowley, 2011). Showing employees that you care and need them comforts us that our futures are safe—something I did not experience at my former workplace. Besides, individual development plans can range from educational scholarships for further studies or even potential career promotions.
References
Comaford, C. (2018). Why Leaders Need To Embrace Employee Motivation . Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinecomaford/2018/01/20/why-leaders-need-to-embrace-employee-motivation/?sh=4fc590081272
Cowley, M. (2011). Unmotivated employees: Root causes and solutions . Facilitiesnet. https://www.facilitiesnet.com/facilitiesmanagement/article/Unmotivated-Employees-Root-Causes-and-Solutions--12746
