Achieved Strategies

Let’s just get to the bottom line, a buzz kill workplace that sucks away the joy of working with others has a lid placed on potential. Now by buzz I’m referring to the palpable buzz that comes from people clicking and doing good work together.

Typically I would look at the enablers of this “good buzz.” Today, however, I want to shift and look at buzz killers. Sometimes we need to see the ugly side to realize something needs to be done to make things better.

Wishy-washy management
Managers who can’t make up their minds and want more information drive employees mad. Skepticism about decisions made are met with doubt. Employees can only start and stop so many times before apathy settles in.

Outdated views on the relationship with employees
Command-and-control style leadership doesn’t fit for today’s knowledge workers. Companies pay for employees’ experiences, accomplishments, even college education. Treating employees like drones that need to be told what to do and how to do it will yield limited results. Controlling leaders disregard employees’ talents and want things done their way. No joy. Buzz kill.

Poor hiring practices
Employees hired who don’t fit in culturally or have trouble adjusting personal values to fit with company values stems from poor hiring practices. New employees who are a poor fit for the company cause havoc in teams, projects, and within relationships.

Trust bank broke
Great way to deplete trust is consistently not follow through with commitments. Or make promises to employees and under-deliver or break them.

Stuck leaders
Leaders must continue to develop and adapt their leadership abilities. The external influences on businesses causes businesses to make internal adjustments to remain relevant. Both external and internal influences are signals for leaders to adapt how they lead. Stuck leaders limit teams, relationships, innovations, quality, even daily work.

I share these five workplace buzz kills to raise awareness to the limitations they place on people, teams, and ultimately the company. Leaders can do something about these if they are present in their teams. First step would be to identify them and then begin to act to reverse their effects. Remember talk is cheap. Actions with results followed by a conversation is worth some money.