There are different reasons that make us demotivated at work. It could be either fear, challenge or one of the many other possible reasons. As an employer, you have a certain amount of responsibility for the motivation and wellbeing of your workforce. For a team to function to the best of its ability, all members must be fully engaged and fully committed.

As the old adage says ‘one spoilt apple can spoil the whole basket’. In this case, we are talking about one demotivated person, just like the spoilt apple, he/she can have a negative effect on the entire organisation. Therefore, it is important to identify the causes demotivation at work and chalk out possible solutions.

Motivation is basically central to creativity, productivity and happiness. Motivation is what causes us to act, and when we act, we create movement, growth and change. It makes us feel involved, masterful and significant, we become powerful through experiencing how we can change the world, and we create more of what we love in our lives. These give our lives a purpose and happiness. So yes, employee demotivation matters to every organisation. Demotivation is very contagious as a single demotivated employee who constantly complains about work or other undesirable factors can quickly succeed in demotivating others too. Organisations are exposed to the danger of demotivation at all times.

To tackle demotivation effectively, an organisation must know the reason behind it. If a boss or colleague can help motivate such a co-worker, it could go a long way to boosting the employee’s morale and motivating them to be optimistic and to have a positive attitude.

The reasons behind an employee’s demotivation could be either one of the following:

• Lack of appreciation When an employee feels unappreciated for his/her efforts. He/she may not even bother going the extra mile anymore which would be a disadvantage for the organisation.
• Overloaded When an employee feels overburdened with a disproportionate chunk of work, which renders him/her unable to perform their duties well and punctually can also lead to demotivation.
• Lack of clarity When an employee is not given a proper explanation of a task to complete. The employee would flounder at work due to a lack of clarity on his various tasks. • No development If a workplace feels stagnant, non-progressive and uninspired, employees’ motivation levels will soon dwindle.
• Favoritism: When the boss favours one worker over the other unfairly, this leads to demotivation too
• Mistrust When the boss displays mistrust in a co-worker’s capabilities to get certain tasks done, this makes them feel undervalued too.
• Miscommunication During a project task, if there is no free flow of information, this proves that the organisation or supervisor does not fully trust and value the employee. This can lead to demotivation too. So how to tackle with demotivated employee?
• Remember that communication is a two-way street: Make sure you pay attention to everything your employee says- The said and the unsaid. Body language can speak volumes about the atmosphere in an organisation, read it and do the needful, if it needs correction.
• Promote teamwork: Teamwork is the way to go, opposing one employee against the other can only be counterproductive.
• Praise and encourage: Simple praise and words of encouragement for a task well-done are always welcome; makes them feel honoured too.
• Take a genuine interest in employees’ work-life balance: It is really tempting to work your best employee hard that managers frequently fall into this trap. Overworking good employees makes them misunderstand their bosses; it makes them feel as if they are being punished for their great performance. Overworking employees is also counterproductive.
• Give information freely: Let your employees know your plans and change of plans, if any.
• Being involved: These are the kind of bosses who celebrate an employee’s success, understand those going through hard times and challenge people, even when it hurts. Bosses who fail to really care will always have high turnover rates. It is impossible to work for someone eight-plus hours a day when they are not personally involved and do not care about anything other than your productivity.
• Appreciate and acknowledge: Appreciation of a task and acknowledgement of efforts put in are wonderful morale boosters.
• Show concern and extend help whenever possible: This makes life easier and better, both for the employee and the organization.

As it is known, employee motivation is the key to success as employees are the main assets of the company. Motivation is the key to a happy and productive organisation. For an employee to work well; putting in all their effort, motivation is the key! If you cultivate the characteristics above and avoid the demotivators, as a manager, you will become the kind of boss that people remember for the rest of their careers. So identify reasons of demotivation and rejuvenate them accordingly.