Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/890548
maltatoday SUNDAY 22 OCTOBER 2017 Careers III How to properly plan your workday MANY a time, when an employee decides to resign, one of the main reasons given is bad bosses. According to a study held by Gallup, around 50% of employees leave their place of work simply to get away from their employers. A manager has the power and potential to either make or break his staff, inspire and motivate or completely destroy their morale. Regardless of what the situation may be, these are the top ten things a manager should never, under any circumstances, say to employees. "This place would fall apart without me" In the eyes of employees, this means they are not capable. This gives the impression that the organisation revolves solely around you, as manager. A wise boss recognizes employees' contributions and never speaks in a condescending manner. "I was here late last night AND I worked over the weekend" Expressing indirect pressure that an em- ployee should commit more time out of their personal lives ensures dissatisfaction. Many studies have found that spending more time in the office doesn't necessarily make people more productive, they have actually indicated the exact opposite. "Because I'm your boss, that's why" They already know you're the boss. There's absolutely no need for you to be throwing your authority around. Live by the well- known saying, "unless you are in the military, avoid pulling rank". The autocratic style drives people away, as opposed to inspiring them and though you may have the final say, decisions should be made more about dialogue than sheer authority. "Keep your personal life at home" We should, in theory, not bring our issues with us to work but the truth is, we are all human beings. Try being a little more sensi- tive when your employees are going through a tough time, be it a divorce, an illness, a death in the family etc. Show that you care. "You can't go home until this is done" Threats and power plays are the least motivating things and do not inspire loyalty or great performance from anyone. Your employees are likely already stressed out and saying something along these lines shows that you have little regard for their workload. "If you don't like it, work somewhere else" Plain and simple, this is just rude and uncalled for. When your employees have legitimate complaints, it is your job to listen and address them, rather than respond with scolding. Show them that you are lucky to have them as part of the team. "We have to do more with less" Here's what your employee is hearing instead: "You're going to have to work more hours and you can forget about getting paid more". The world of business is not an easy one but the solution certainly isn't over- working employees or setting unrealistic expectations. "If you keep this up, you're not getting a raise" Threatening employees, as a way to get them to do what you want, is unsustain- able and will surely result in demotivation. Phrases such as these will make employees even less willing to do more than the bare minimum, that is, if they don't leave first. "You need to think about your priorities" Never make an employee feel like they are doing something wrong, without being specific! Phrases like these beat around the bush, without actually letting them know exactly what they did wrong and how it can be rectified, improved or avoided next time.