A post on ComLab India today begins
Demotivation is contagious: even one demotivated employee who constantly cribs about work or other undesirable factors can quickly work on demotivating others too. Organizations are prone to the dangers of demotivation at all times. However, it’s important to be aware of it and to recognize and tackle it without delay.
To tackle demotivation effectively, an organization must know the reason behind its lackluster attitude. If a boss or colleague can help motivate such a coworker, it could go a long way to boost the employee’s morale and motivate him to be optimistic and have a positive attitude.
The article then lists several causes of demotivation, and some things to do to prevent demotivation from happening.
Demotivation is, to put it bluntly, a leadership issue. While individuals can have personal things that can cause them to lost motivation, if demotivation exists in a team, you must look to leadership / management.
While not technically a conflict management issue, it is closely related. A lack of motivation automatically creates conflict, although it may not yet be apparent. If motivational issues are left ignored, eventually conflict will erupt in one area or another.
Management, or Leadership?
I think it is somewhat unfortunate that management is the standard term for those who supervise others; the concept of manage implies that something is out of line and requires some restraints to keep it in place. Contrast this with the concept of leadership, where the person in charge is leading the charge, not just keeping people in line.
The difference in attitude between managing and leading can make all the difference in the world.
