In this economy, there are problems everywhere. Look toward Washington and you’ll find a bevy of reelection-minded partisans stifling the democratic process through political gamesmanship. Look toward Wall Street and you’ll find a throng of companies gambling the economic stakes of Western markets. And among the populace you’ll find rampant unemployment, consumer debt and widespread uncertainty.
In such conditions, it can be quite a challenge sustaining employee motivation – let alone satisfaction. But that’s no excuse to let your employees amble around aimlessly with no motivation or reason to work. If there isn’t an incentive, you 
have to give them one. Don’t rebuke or chastise them – level with them. Isolate their concerns and address them. Don’t assume you have the antidote to discouragement or that you know the solution to their problems. Instead, engage with them about how you can work together to make their employment situation more tolerable or even enjoyable.
In that sense, you have to approach their position – and your own – with the idea that is more than just a job. See it as your livelihood. Instill your employees with greater purpose, because everyone wants to feel like they have an important role within an organization. How can you mold their position into something with more on the line? How can you alter the job’s responsibilities to fit their thirst for company value?
“Everyone wants to feel that his or her work has a higher purpose,” writes Entrepreneur magazine contributor Marcus Erb. “Sometimes, though, that purpose gets lost in the day-to-day grind.”
It’s also important to acknowledge your employees’ contributions to the energy and vitality of the company. Compensation is one thing – and appreciated in its own way – but to really boost a worker’s confidence and, hence, their motivation, you’ll need to salute their performance – and in a public way.
Erb suggests allowing employees to engage with personal projects from time to time, as this can provide a recuperative break from routine tasks and can help serve as a source of innovation for the company as a whole.
“Atlassian, a developer of collaboration software based in Sydney, encourages creativity during its ‘FedEx Day,’” Erb reports. “During this event, all 62 employees can work on anything that excites them – as long as it is somewhat related to Atlassian products or processes, can be completed in the allotted time and is fun.”
Of course, employee engagement programs can only do so much for some employees. The truth is, regardless of economic of financial circumstances, there are always going to be problem employees. Whether they are incompetent, distracted or simply bitter, there comes a point when you, as a manager, cannot tolerate it.
“With luck, the problem will be resolved through a frank conversation,” writes Grant Buckler for CBC news. “But sometimes it will not, and in those cases, you will have to fire the employee. If that’s the case, better to get it over with before the person does too much damage.”
However, the process of firing someone is extremely delicate, so managers should weigh as many variable as possible before deciding how to proceed. How long has the employee worked there? Can they be laid off with minimal public notice? What sort of severance package, if any, will they receive? Who should handle the layoff – a close colleague or a distant manager?
The point is that it needs to be done, especially if you have any interest in staving off the ill will that can percolate throughout the rest of the office if such an employee is allowed to stay.
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