Perspective on Management Style

Dr. W. Edwards Deming, outlined 14 Points as management guidelines in his book, Out of the Crisis, published in 1982 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The outstanding success of his method applies to all business environments.
1. Create and communicate to all employees a statement of the aims and purposes of the company.
2. Adapt to the new philosophy of the day; industries and economics are always changing. 
3. Build quality into a product throughout production. 
4. End the practice of awarding business on the basis of price tag alone; instead, try a long-term relationship based on established loyalty and trust. 
5. Work to constantly improve quality and productivity. 
6. Institute on-the-job training.
7. Teach and institute leadership to improve all job functions.
8. Drive out fear; create trust. 
9. Strive to reduce intradepartmental conflicts.
10. Eliminate exhortations for the work force; instead, focus on the system and morale.
11. Eliminate work standard quotas for production. Substitute leadership methods for improvement. (Eliminate management by objective. Avoid numerical goals. Alternatively, learn the capabilities of processes and how to improve them).
12. Remove barriers that rob people of pride of workmanship.
13. Educate with self-improvement programs.
14. Include everyone in the company to accomplish the transformation.

Worst management moves

What deflates worker motivation and ruins their morale? According to SOCAP (Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals in Business) this is the top ten list:
1. Micromanagement.
2. Failure to provide feedback or recognition.
3. Management that ignores employees' ideas and suggestions.
4. Supervisors who intentionally ignore unacceptable behavior.
5. A "do it because I told you to" management style.
6. Bosses who pass down the grief and stress that they receive from their superiors.
7. Messy, disorganized or unsafe workplaces.
8. Task assignment without adequate training.
9. Insincere thanks.
10. Insignificant raises. 

Systems thinking

To avoid landing on the top ten list, think of your business as a system. A system exists through the mutual interaction of its parts. If one of the parts is out of whack, it impacts all the other parts. If one of your workers is unhappy and negative and does not want to participate in the system, your whole operation could be in jeopardy. Systems thinking focuses on interaction with the other constituents of the system. It is effective in the following areas:

Complex problems that involve helping many actors see the "big picture" and not just their part of it.

Recurring problems or those that have been made worse by past attempts to fix them.

Issues where an action affects (or is affected by) the environment surrounding the issue, either the natural environment or the competitive environment.

Problems whose solutions are not obvious.

Change your style

Try to think how you might be contributing to low morale among your employees. Your employees are part of your system and are impacted by every aspect of it. Try the following techniques:

Apply strategic thinking.

Assess strengths and weaknesses in people, including your own.

Operate in a continuous improvement mode.

Observe from a systems perspective rather than a component perspective.

Perform as calculated risk takers and excellent risk managers.

Think about "what if" scenarios and develop contingency plans.

Seek input and expertise from outside the business.

See change and challenge as opportunities and don't view yourself as a victim.

Manage more as the head coach than as the boss.

Balance management approach among key performance areas.

Measure and analyze performance.

Base decisions more on reason and judgment and less on emotion.

Create and innovate in your approach to business.

Work hard at communication.

More tips: 

Mental Model Musings

Motivating Employees

Why Bosses Should Avoid Criticizing Employees