The May edition of The Business Review North America is now live!
By: K'Lee Banks
You have probably seen and heard them: employees in just about any store or business you go to who seem bothered by you, the customer, as you wait for service. They don’t seem to care that it’s supposed to be their job to provide good customer service—heck, ANY customer service, for that matter.
Then there are those employees who seem to constantly be negative about everything and everyone, and their negativity eventually brings down the morale of many other employees. They don’t seem happy about having a job, but they don’t leave, either.
So what is the problem?
What has happened to genuinely taking pride in one’s company or business, and caring about how one performs his or her job, as well as treating customers or clients well, who—after all—are rather essential to keeping a company running?
Apathy appears to be the culprit, and if any employees in YOUR company are apathetic, it could spell trouble and impending danger for the success of your business.
Warning Signs of Apathy
However you define apathy—boredom, lethargy, or simply indifference—if the workers in your company have it, you should take immediate action to address and correct it, as it is known to be contagious.
Even good, dedicated workers can sometimes become affected by apathy, once they realize they appear to be doing the majority of the work while their co-workers avoid it as often as possible. Some of the warning signs of apathy among your workers might include the following:
Strategies to Address and Correct Apathy
So once you’ve diagnosed the problem, what’s your next move?
Aside from firing all those workers who seem to have a perpetual case of apathy, you might try some of these strategies to address and correct apathy in your workers, as well as in the conditions contributing to apathy:
Build Team Spirit
What’s next?
Build team spirit among your workers. Make them feel they play a valuable role in the success of the business. Be approachable and listen to any reasonable suggestions your workers may have about how to make the business better, or even how to be a better boss.
Above all, make sure YOU don’t exhibit any apathy toward the business or your workers, but rather be a model for commitment, responsibility, and enthusiasm.
About the Author: As a prolific freelance writer since 2008, K'Lee Banks has written about numerous business topics, including small business ownership using a wireless credit card machine, and employee engagement.