4 sins of omission that deflate morale—and could deplete your staff
Acknowledge when someone leaves the company, cultivate a sense of community, communicate when change is afoot, and, for the love of Pete, show appreciation for a job faithfully done.
Working at an office can be an enjoyable, fulfilling endeavor, but it can also be a soul-crushing ordeal that some would eagerly swap for a lengthy jail sentence.
Workplace misery is not typically a result of outwardly evil behavior. Rather, it’s often an accumulation of small annoyances. A thousand paper cuts of minor inconveniences, hassles, slights, miscommunication, nonsense and, sometimes, actual paper cuts.
Unfortunately, crushing spirits and smooshing morale is quite easy. It doesn’t take “we’re eliminating the health care plan,” “the espresso machine has been removed” or “everyone must work Saturdays from now on” to sap motivation and zap enthusiasm.
Consider these four sins of omission that deflate morale more than you might realize:
1. You fail to notify staff when someone leaves the company.
What ever happened to Bob? Was he spirited away to a detention center? Cast into a memory hole?
There’s something draconian and disheartening when people just vanish, with no acknowledgment or confirmation of their situation. Did they ever even exist?
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