Helping a discouraged employee

An employee who has become discouraged will not perform at the level he or she is capable of achieving. In addition, they can begin to draw others down to their level. It is important for a manager to know how to recognize a discouraged employee and to know what to do to help them return to their former level of production.

How To Recognize A Discouraged Employee

There are many reasons an employee might be discouraged. The symptoms can be as varied as the causes. Here are a few of the signs you can use to help you identify a discouraged worker who might be at risk and in need of your help.

· They complain that work is not fun anymore

· They overreact to minor hassles and are easily irritated

· They complain about being overwhelmed

· They question the value of tasks they perform

· They are lethargic and often comment about feeling empty at
work

Find Out Why The Employee Is Discouraged

After you have identified discouraged employees, and before you can effectively help them, you have to find out why they are discouraged.
Sometimes they don't want to tell the boss, so you may have to be persistent or innovative. Sometimes they don't know themselves why they are so discouraged. Usually they try to hide it.

Here are some ways you can try to find out why the employee is discouraged.

· Ask them. Try to pick a quiet time. Keep it private.

· When they make a comment about the job, really listen. And try
to "listen between the lines". Listen for what they are saying, not just the words they say.

· Ask their colleagues. The other employees on your team may be
more aware of the condition and the reasons than you think.

· Ask the Human Resources (HR) Department to get involved.
Someone the employee sees as a neutral third party may be able to get more information than you can.

· In a severe case, refer the employee to your Employee
Assistance Plan (EAP) if your benefits plan includes one.

Helping The Discouraged Employee

The employee may be discouraged because of burnout, may suffer from a lack of confidence, or may have discouraging problems outside of work that are bleeding over into work hours. The cause will guide the steps you can take to help the employee, but here are some common suggestions.
· If they are burned out, and you can't reduce the load, try to
vary it. Give them different tasks or give them more latitude in how they do them.

· If they lack confidence (courage), give them tasks they can
do. Set them up with a couple of tasks that are challenging for them but not too difficult. Let them "win" a few.

· Encourage them to talk with you. This motivates them. It gives
them a safety valve for their frustrations. And it helps build their confidence.

· Don't be afraid to refer them to the EAP if they need
professional help. Your job is to keep them a productive member of the team, not cure potential mental health problems.

Preventing Discouraged Employees

Rather than discovering discouraged employees and figuring out the cause and cure for their condition, it is always preferable to prevent it when possible. Here are some things you can do proactively to reduce the likelihood of discouraged employees in your department.

· Keep them motivated. The bottom of this article contains links
to specific articles on this topic. If you keep them motivated, they won't get discouraged.

· Communicate openly and freely with your employees. Let them
know what is going on in the company and why. Let hem know why what they are doing is important and how it contributes to the overall success of the department and the company.

· Listen and keep listening. Listen to what the employees say
and what they don't say. Listen to what employees say about each other, about the job, about the company. Let them know you are listening and will take action on what you hear to the extent you can.

· Get out of your office and wander around. The best way to keep
employees from getting discouraged is to be among them. Yes, you have a lot to do and you need to be in your office working, but the time you spend out in the department, listening and observing, will more than make up for the effort it took.

Bottom Line

You can do a lot to prevent discouraged employees, but you can't prevent it completely. Be alert for symptoms of the problem and take action to help the employee as quickly as you can. It will benefit both the employee and the rest of the team.

By F. John Reh

Improving your interaction skills

Most people feel uncomfortable starting conversations with people they don’t know but did you know that many people feel equally uncomfortable having conversations in a non-work situations with people we know on the job? Some people always seem to be comfortable in every setting, on the work floor, in the meeting and in the company party.
Companies are always looking for individuals with “excellent interaction skills”, a talent that is equated with leadership and managerial skills. People with these skills have an advantage, they are more lively to get the deal done, gain favors from others and in a personal situation, they are likely to gain trust and develop loyal friendships.
If you don’t think you have this quality, here are a few pointers that can help you become more engaging, more memorable, more confident and more trustworthy.
Shake hands- Get in the habit of being first to stick out your hand to say hello or to introduce yourself. If an introduction always include your first and last name.
Remember names- This is an essential business skill. People love to be called by name. Find a technique to learn the names of people you meet

Take time to get to know others first. Remember, people don’t care about you until the know you care about them. We all have a tendency to want to tell others what we know rather that hearing the other person out. You can show your interest by having good eye contact, nodding your head, and by asking questions.
Smile -We often show our interest or lack of interest in meeting new people by our facial expression, but putting a smile on your face is powerful communications tool. Smiling transmits happiness, friendliness, warmth, liking. If you smile frequently you will be perceived to be likable, friendly warm and approachable.
Body Posture- Standing erect but not rigid, and leaning slightly forward communicates that you are approachable receptive and friendly. Mirroring is a technique where you subtly mimic the other person’s physical behaviors. People send and receive non-verbal signals all the time and by mirroring the positive behaviors of the other person we are non-verbally showing our approval. Mirroring involves synchronizing your body language such as posture, gestures to match those of the person you are speaking. Ability to do this helps develops rapport and gain trust.
These few pointers can help you on the job and in social occasions. Get in the habit of finding one tidbit from the news that you can use to start any conversation and approach each communication interactions as an opportunity to learn something about someone you did not know.