How to DE-Motivated Employees

Elías Muñoz

Elias Muñoz, the author of “Como DES Motivar A Los Empleados,” is a successful Venezuelan entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience working with multinational companies.

Muñoz has been involved with training, staffing, professional development, company restructuring, and the improvement of team integration within a company. His focus areas include internal/external conflict management, logistics of personal development workshops, interdepartmental communications, and results-driven monitoring along with execution.

From the perspective of employees, his book expands on the topic of how motivated they feel as a result of their bosses and work environment.

How to avoid DE-Motivated employees?

A company’s greatest asset is its human capital. They tend to put great emphasis on finding strategies that will motivate and drive employees. However, usually, many fail to pinpoint the exact issues that are affecting the motivation of their workforce.

Let’s visualize measuring staff motivation, with measuring temperature. The higher the temperature, the higher the employee motivation. Using the scale of 90% as high, 60% as medium, and 40% as low, we will find that many companies after a significant event will fall on the 40% category.

Muñoz recognizes that many times the critical indicator to improve employee satisfaction is a good boss. Communication within a company is indispensable for growth and stability. Therefore, a boss must maintain a proper dialogue with the staff while truly “listening” to their employees. Muñoz illustrates how important “silence” is to the action of listening. Instead of thinking of a response or answer, take a moment to listen to what your employee is trying to convey. This aspect of communication is vital.  

Understand the value your employees add to the company. Recognize those who are looking for professional mobility within the company and those simply looking for work stability. However, be aware that an employee who is merely focusing on work stability is not unmotivated. Instead, this employee has a different intrinsic motivation and goal that allows them to focus on succeeding at the level they are at.

Nurture the relationships you can form as a leader with your team. Be the brand others dream of working for.