Strictly Prohibited Words that can Kill Employee Motivation

Why should you kill employee motivation using unethical words and a bad attitude, when you can encourage your people to work by giving advice and constructive criticism? There are some phrases business owners and CEOs use at the workplace that can crush a person’s ego. The morale of your employee can be either consolidated or torn down, depending on your behavior. As a leader, you should always remember that you are the main factor that influences the attitude and positivity of your employees. In fact, a leader’s impact on the self-esteem of his employees is immeasurable.

Every little gesture, word, or face expression can make people become aware of how much you value them for their work. After all, employees are motivated every time they realize that you appreciate their work. It’s your duty to make sure that your workers are pleased with their tasks, as well as with a competitive pay and with opportunities related to advancement and training.

Never takes things for granted - “I assume” should be out of the question

No one should assume anything when they’re at work. This word shows weakness and should therefore be taken out from the vocabulary of your employees. They will never be motivated if eno9ugh they only “assume” that what they do is important. Instead, teach them to replace the phrase with “I am positive/ I am sure that…”, and you will immediately notice a significant boost in their self-esteem. Executives, CEOs and managers shouldn’t act solely as leaders, but also as teachers. This means that their main goal should be that of helping their employees get over their insecurities.

 “I’m don’t have time”

How can you help your people boost confident if they can never reach you? These words will definitely kill their enthusiasm, which means that they will avoid expressing their ideas in the future. It’s true that leaders are busy, but you can formulate a more subtle way of saying that. Instead of shouting out that you don’t have time for your people, say something like “Yes, this is a great idea and I am willing to hear more about it; can we meet after 4 PM?” This sounds way more encouraging, and it will make your employees appreciate you more.

“That’s out of the question”

Your job as a manager and leader is to encourage creativity, not kill your team’s hopes and dreams. Every idea should be encouraged, and don’t kill their thoughts just because you assume they’re impossible to attain. If you disagree with them and you want to reject their solutions, you should definitely look for another way of doing it. Try to make them understand that you appreciate their ideas, but that it would be better if you used a different approach.

“Why didn’t you..?”

Nothing puts more pressure on your employees than this type of question. These words are a method of placing the blame on the person you address to, and since your workplace should support equality, collaboration, and teamwork, you should avoid using it. Instead of making your employees feel guilty you could try to opt for a gentler attitude.

 “Get out!”

That’s not a very nice way to talk to your people. How can you gain their respect if you’re never willing to help them out? Harmony at the workplace can be achieved as long as everyone involved is willing to cooperate. If they barge into your office and you’re really busy, ask them politely to come back in 15 minutes; but under no circumstances you should yell and them to ‘get out’ because you’ll kill their morale.

There are so many words that can affect work performance that we just can’t exhibit them all. Business owners, managers, CEOs, and executives, should watch their language when talking to their people because the goal is to boost performance not kill morale. Great leaders are excellent listeners, so if there’s a problem at the office gather your team around and talk about it. The key to any successful business is communication. As long as you’re a calm boss who knows how to talk politely, you’ll manage to make your workers feel relaxed as well. All in all, when there’s harmony in an office it’s so much easier to start a day with a smile on your face, isn’t it?