When the work place begins to be dominated by a what's-the-point climate, both management and staff need to watch out. For that is when motivation goes out and the rot begins to step in.

First of all what on earth is a what's-the-point climate? Stated simply, it is a job environment, which has got badly afflicted with demotivated employees. These persons come to work each day, and they may even get through the tasks given to them, but inside them, the dedicated zeal to serve their organization has gone, there is no more the fire in the belly.

They put in marginal effort-you will never catch them on the wrong side of their work contract-so as not to lose the job; but beyond that, they will not do an inch more. Their reasoning is "what's the point in giving of one's best; no one here appreciates what you do anyway."

The symptoms of frustration can be easily spotted. Employees' behavior patterns change. They become undependable. They create trouble. Instead of using their skills and aptitude to do something constructive,demotivated workers become destructive or childish. They give in to all kinds of aggressive behavior. You will know you have caught the contagion when you find yourself doing any or many of the following:

1. You get into the habit of criticizing your boss and other top persons in the organization: When you allow yourself to do this, the downslide begins. True professionals never talk against the organization they are employed by and through which they earn their livelihood; they serve their employees from their heart, not just lip service but by faithfulness in endeavor even when the Big Man (or Woman) is not around.

2. You disregard office property and stationary: As frustration increases, you begin to turn aggressive; you have disregard for company equipment and spoil and waste materials. It is said, where your heart is, therein will lie your treasure. Since your heart is not really in your job any more, everything about the place ceases to have any value for you.


3. Reduced Productivity: You know you are capable of better...... and more, but somehow you are not able to summon up the enthusiasm to come up with anything more than the bare minimum.

4. LATENESS AND ABSENTEEISM: When you'd started on this job, you'd been pepped up with full steam motivation. Then, you couldn't wait to get to work each morning with a song in the heart and a spring in the toe, you were even reluctant to get home each evening because you were so involved in what you were doing. Now, it is the exact opposite. You crawl into the work place each morning with iron in your shoes and you don't need the clock to tell you when its time to buzz off. Often you are unable to even get yourself to work; you just decide not to go.

5. Hostility towards everybody: Suddenly for no apparent reason you begin to see a foe in everyone you previously got on with. Many rumors, mischief making and gossip is circulated in organizations by individuals who have' had it up to there'.

6. Attitude of resignation: Your demotivated behavior started with apathy, sulking and arguing; finally it nestled into resigned behavior or what is called the submission stage. You find yourself often making statements like, "It's a waste of time to try," "Why put my neck on the line ?" or "This place will never get better."

And at the end of it all, a job that you loved has become a drag.

It is what is called the workplace tragedy. Because you may think that you are shortchanging (and spitting spite) at your organization and maybe you are. But you are doing something worse to yourself. You're stunting your growth. You've reduced your vision. You've turned into a very tiny person. You've shrunk into negative zone. You are no longer a nice person to know or work with.

What caused this and what can be done to cure demotivated behavior?

One of several things could have caused it. Spot it! And scoop it out!! The standards set before you are too high: You find yourself consistently falling short because of the traumatic targets, and you become disillusioned.

(There is no shame in confessing this to your immediate boss. Instead of ignoring quality standards and wasting time trying to cover up mistakes you make, have a frank talk with him/her asking for shorter-range goals in the operational standards for you)

There has been no advancement for ages: The wage increases are given too late or too reluctantly; you look at what others who have achieved far less than you have got and you find the difference insufficient. Further, the opportunities of promotion are almost out of sight and you are unable to see tangible and immediate effects of your work. No wonder you feel flat. (For heaven's sake- if yours is a giant- sized organization, you ought to know that salaries are relatively fixed for positions. If you feel there are no chances of growth in one particular sector, start inching towards another, one with more potential for upwarders.)

You do not have a proper job brief: The result is that there is considerable duplication of effort, arguments over procedures and irritating questions about what to do next. In addition to that, there is too much pressure from the top and you feel that your superiors are constantly "riding rough" all over you.( Don't waste any more time stewing and tripping over this; clarify directly from your superior the expectations and start a new work regime)

You feel like a speck in a galaxy of giants: This happens often in companies when people do not have sufficient contact with or access to the management and they begin to believe that no higher ups in the company care about them. (If your boss has not bothered to find out how you are doing ,you take the initiative; wait for the right moment and then give him a quick update on your achievements, maybe on a fortnightly basis; gain or grab his interest.)

You have got drawn in with the wrong crowd: In almost every organization there is a disgruntled group. It consists of persons who are constantly grumbling, who find fault with everything, who create and spread gossip and who-if you allow them to-will drip cynicism all over you and coerce you into looking at the bleak side of everything. (Pull out-be your own person; make your own decisions)

The important thing for you to remember is that you cannot blame anybody else for your demotivated spirit...nor can anyone else do anything about it. Motivation is something that comes from within each person; not something that can be instilled or planted in you. Compare it to the growth of a human being. A mother cannot make her child grow, but she can aid the natural growth with nourishment that will help it to mature in all aspects. In the same way, your company or your boss cannot motivate you, though it is possible for them to create the kind of climate in which you would want to work to your full potential. But the onus lies on you. Because dear clever heart, You're the one that needs the job.