No verve, no will

Enthusiasm is a major non-monetary tool for managers to make their teams perform beyond the ordinary. Enthusiasm is a preconditioned state of human mind that voluntarily inspires action. The stimuli for enthusiasm to be the part and parcel of any work can take several formats of manifestation, depending on emotional, psychological and social needs of each individual. In a similar context the anti-enthusiasm element or killers, if one may call them as such, are also many. Some killers are inflicted upon others, without tormentor’s knowledge, while some are deliberate and are wantonly used to deprive people/workforce of their even inherent enthusiasm. Without enthusiasm, there is no joy in any assignment, regardless of how important, prominent or useful it may be to the organisation. Even monotonous work can become extremely motivating if it is infused with enthusiasm. It is a potent energy for extraordinary performance. Most managers who are oblivious of their own state of mind whether it is bursting or not with enthusiasm fail to inspire their teams to perform. The manager who is disposed of enthusiasm cannot transfer any positive energy within his sphere of work and responsibility. Enthusiasm is all about intense and eager enjoyment while being involved in any activity or assignment. If managers control your quality of work, then they may be the ones who are full of verve but if otherwise they will bring you down, not only just your employer. Examining zeal as an element of the personality, it will not be difficult to conclude that getting people to do, what you as managers want them to do, is dependent on how much they are willing to accept your thoughts. If the team finds, the resolve of the manager to be in a constant mode of fluidity, they will never give their best; the most such colleagues do will be to become fence-sitters, and will decide upon to accept managerial instructions, once they know which direction the breeze will blow. The behavioral attitude of the manager either creates an environment of enthusiasm or he can become the crucifier of it. I have seen many managers, who rebuke in conversation with colleagues and reports and they do not fail to demean any of them in public and can make cutting remarks, none of which can be potions of ebullience. If anything, they bring negative energy to the table. The deadliest enemy of man walks under his own hat. A manager that has a dark side to his personality, which he masks, with apparent smiles and pat on the backs, will eventually show the ugly face -by acts that are loaded with intolerance, greed, revenge, unmanageable ego, an attitude of jealousy and suspicion. These elements are “murderers” of enthusiasm. Any of these traits can put to death the best intentions meant towards inspiration. The manner and tone of speech of the supervisor either produces a large quantum of gusto, or in contrast, it can take away, even the minutest grain of voluntary willingness to produce beyond the budgets. Deceit in thought and duplicity in action are major depressants to any positive thought. A manager who comes to be recognised as one, who himself doesn’t believe, in the values, he prophecies to others for better performance, stands stark naked and exposed in the shortest period of time. Some managers I have personally witnessed some managers carrying naked swords of insult and with their injuring sharpness they inflict cut after cut upon the most undeserving colleagues. Here there is a major disbelief guiding this class of unguided managers that terror inspires enthusiasm. No, it never does. It never did, in business history. It will never do. Human response of commitment to a cause, job, or assignment is driven by the divine elements of respect, compassion and care. The negative personality of a manager is in effect not only the expression of deformed mentality but also a sure indicator of insanity. Of the many enthusiasm killers, let me cite a few. Failure to stand and cheer a good performance is a sure shot killer. Refusal to acknowledge good performance is the trait of a petty-minded manager. Degrading in public the achievement of a colleague is a sign of an insecure manger. Managers, who hate the success of teammates, convey the littleness of his soul. Such grow weaker by the day. Factors like stress, whether official or personal, leads to sleep deprivation, resulting in depleting levels of enthusiasm. The unpredictable behavior of the supervisor, the monotony and lack of newness in challenges, bitter criticism that isn’t balanced, when you do not understand and remark that this is a far-fetched idea, or no it wouldn’t work here or even a comment like innovation is not our forte, and everything similar lead to the demotion of enthusiasm to its lowest depths.The disparity that is seen on workshop floor between action and words is a killer number one of the spirit of passion. Preaching, what is not practiced is a singular de-motivation of enormous proportions, because it extends far and wide, in the institution. Double speak by a colleague or a supervisor can never germinate or inspire fervor. Any lack of unity and harmony between words and deeds is a reflection of the absence of enthusiasm. Some other murderers of zeal are: whatever good you do, and if met with success, the supervisor claims the whole credit – fact is success has many fathers and failures is always an orphan. Also more examples of it are: the boss refuses to acknowledge the efforts of his team, shows disdain and ignorance, the manager breathes down the neck, unmediatedly after assigning a task, the supervisor leaves for a game of golf at 4:00pm but preaches that there is no declared time to leave work stations.More zest-zappers include: the manager mentions with huffed-up pride about his little princess’s visit but refuses to listen to pleas of colleagues who wish to receive their returning off-springs, and the icing on the cake is when the boss lectures colleagues how to create work/life balance and talks about importance of taking holidays, but declines your application to do likewise. All of these deflate all tires of enthusiasm. Such remarks put a permanent dampness on all new initiatives. These type of managers love to de-motivate. When a manager has doubts lurking in his own mind about something’s do-ability, it is unlikely that any of his followers will take a shot at it with any zeal. Here, the manage fails miserably to get commitment, for he himself is dispossessed of the necessary enthusiasm to provoke action. The tenor, the tone, and the delivery of your chief aim will determine if the effort will meet with success or otherwise. Enthusiasm knows no fatigue. Long hours at work never tire you, if you do it with self generated, interest, eagerness, and enthusiasm. Possibly nothing is more contagious than a manager’s enthusiasm. If they are positively inclined then there is very a little chance that his team will suffer from lack of inspiration to produce unbelievable results. The writer is a senior banker and freelance columnist

from The News International - Money Matters http://bit.ly/2UPPGLx