The organizational impact of deep level human motivations.

Organizations have a plethora (yes, I used that word - I like it) of training methodologies, tools and constructs like Emotional Intelligence, DiSC, Enneagrams, MBTI, Employee Engagement surveys, you name it. The purpose of these tools is to improve organizational performance.

Yet there are undiscussed human elements of corporate life that have significant impact on organizational performance. These elements are part of human nature. For example, jealousy, favoritism, bitterness, rivalry, and personal revenge play into organizational performance and are not amenable to training and management. These are very real human motivations, and they have organizational impact.

These elements don't fit into neat categories of transparency, authenticity, and so forth, yet they are very common in human experience and have powerful effects on organizational performance.

Here are some very human experiences that impact organizational performance.

Jealousy - When one employee wants desperately to have what another employee has received.

Favoritism - A sense that a manager is giving better treatment to another team member. (I was accused of this as a young manager - it was a very unpleasant discovery.)

Bitterness - A longstanding negative feeling for being passed over, passed by, or betrayed by a team member.

Patronizing - A sense that one's manager treat you like a child and says what he thinks you want to hear only to pacify your concerns.

Cliques - Not being part of an organizational in-crowd.

Dismissal - Being underappreciated for one's work and overlooked when one has something to offer.

Rejection - Not getting the role you wanted even though you had all the qualifications.

Unfulfilled promises - Waiting on a manager who never delivered on the promotion, raise or opportunity you expected.

These issues are very real, and they have organizational and financial impact.

People Development: The Best Part of Leading a Team.

If a manager does this ignorantly, it can be corrected, but if intentionally, that manager is creating a problem that will likely have long term impact for the company.

How to deal with these matters?

Savvy managers have a sixth sense that 'something is going on' with an employee. They attend to body language, absence of participation, lower quality work and output, along with disconnection from team members. When those behaviors happen, wise managers take people aside and engage them one-to-one with a "what's up?" A discussion of any of these matters can set the stage for improving a situation.

Why do these situations happen in the first place?

Some managers create these situations either ignorantly, or intentionally. If a manager does this ignorantly, it can be corrected, but if intentionally, that manager is creating a problem that will likely have long term impact for the company. Sometimes managers are ignorant of having overlooked someone simply because of organizational 'busyness'. Some managers are outright malevolent and can cause serious employee dissatisfaction. Organizations do well to sort out these managers because of the effect they have on team members.

What wise managers do

1. Wise managers know that all human beings, even the youngest, often say, "That's not fair." In other words, people have an instinctual sense of what is fair.
2. Wise managers get to the root of the issue and find a way to resolve what can be resolved without promising what cannot be changed.
3. Not all issues can be resolved, but wise managers may give good counsel on how an employee can look at a situation.
4. Wise managers remind employees that the way they handle the situation will have a bearing on how things go for them in the future. Carrying a 'chip on one's shoulder' can have negative effects.
5. Wise managers go out of their way to make sure these issues don't happen in the first place.

And by the way, solve one of these issues for an employee and they will be more loyal and productive than you could imagine. I've seen it first-hand.

I look forward to your thoughtful insights!

Dr. Jim