How To Kill Enthusiasm For A Project

Launching a new project is always exciting. The company is moving and shaking. Great growth is expected.

Things are looking good. The team is motivated. They’re ready to take on the project and succeed.

There’s only one problem. You’ve done an action that kills enthusiasm more than anything.

 

I’ve done it. Time and time again. I’m pretty sure you’ve done it as well.

With the busyness of our days, it’s easy to let this one slide in.

The Enthusiasm Killer

The enthusiasm killer is a sly devil. He slides in slowly and quietly. Before you know it, he’s killed the motivation that was building.

The killer is A Lack Of Communication.

It may start as missing a deadline and not communicating it to the team. Or meetings that are never held.

Slowly, over time, these build up into a telling message. The project isn’t important. Or, worse yet, that your employee isn’t valuable.

Why A Lack Of Communication Kills Enthusiasm

“Communicate unto the other person that which you would want him to communicate unto you if your positions were reversed.”
— Aaron Goldman

As communication in your organization suffers, you will feel a backlash.

Team members will begin to feel they aren’t valued. Why should they? You’re not responding to requests and continue to put off communicating with them.

You’d feel you weren’t valued if you were treated in the same manner.

A lack of communication also makes team members feel like something else is going on. Rumors begin to float through the company.

  • Is the project dying?
  • Are they replacing me?
  • Is the company in trouble?
  • Who’s next to get the ax?

With questions like this floating around, can you blame them when their motivation flounders?

I know I can’t.

How To Bring Back The Enthusiasm

“In motivating people, you’ve got to engage their minds and their hearts. It is good business to have an employee feel part of the entire effort . . . ; I motivate people, I hope, by example—and perhaps by excitement, by having provocative ideas to make others feel involved.”
— Rupert Murdoch

Bringing back enthusiasm is a lot harder once it’s been lost. But you can do it!

It’ll take a lot of hard work.

  • Own up to your lack of communication: Let the team know that you’ve screwed up. By acknowledging it, you’re letting them know that you’ve noticed a major issue and you’re willing to take the blame for it. You’re also working to correct the issue.
  • Begin communicating clearly: After owning up to the lack of communication, you must take action. Start communicating clearly. Sit down with your team and lay out the groundwork for future communication. Keep them in the loop.
  • Respond in a reasonable time frame: If a team member shoots you an email, respond in a reasonable amount of time. If the response will take long, give them a quick response letting them know you received their request. Whatever you do, don’t leave them in the dark!

Your team is looking to you to communicate. To share the vision. To respond to requests. To lead!

Pursue a clear line of communication with your team. They’ll be thankful for it.

You’ll also have slain one of the biggest killers of enthusiasm in your company.

“Motivation is everything. You can do the work of two people, but you can’t be two people. Instead, you have to inspire the next guy down the line and get him to inspire his people.”
— Lee Iacocca

Question: How would a clear line of communication affect the feelings you have of your company? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

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