Uncovering a morale problem

Copyright (c) 2008 Thotsaporn Khumwaree

Sometimes we must dig deeply to uncover a man's troubles. Here is a morale problem that required about two years to pinpoint: Jim's problem had me stumped. He had excellent product knowledge, and his customers held him in high regard. He had a good potential territory, yet his sales were, at best, only average. While he never complained, Jim obviously had something on his nix^ that was distracting him. Also, curiously, I had met his wife only once, and had not been invited into their home.

During one of my visits to his area, I asked if he and his wife would join me for dinner. Jim suggested that we discuss it. As the story unfolded, the reason for Jim's gloom was his widowed and aging mother-in-law. She had moved into Jim's home when he got married. She had a few eccentricities. She was able to get around, yet would not leave the house. She hated television, so Jim disposed of the set. She refused to be left alone, so Jim's wife could go out only when he was there to keep the elder one company. This was one mother-in-law who was happy only when making others miserable.

After several chats on the subject, I suggested that Jim find some pretext to place her in a home for older people, at least for a month's trial. Even if she insisted on returning, I told Jim that he and his wife could at least go on their four-year-postponed honeymoon.

Things worked out better than anyone expected. When Jim and his wife returned from their trip, they visited his mother-in-law. She was all smiles and insisted that she wanted to stay right where she was.

Jim's life improved dramatically. Now he had a happy home. He had more time to call on customers because he no longer had to sit with his wife's mother. His sales went up meteorically. They had to. Jim needed the extra commissions to pay for his mother-in-law's care.

Here is one more example of a morale problem that occurs all too often. An associate of mine came to my office one day breathing fire, he was so angry. His first words were, "That damn fool did it again!"

John was well educated, talented, and creative. He frequently developed new ideas for products. He had excellent knowledge of market potentials and how to penetrate those markets. Unfortunately, he was in a staff position with no direct line of authority. His superior was a man of few words. They were usually, "No," or "We'll see." I'm not sure if he was incapable of decision or simply would not make a move for which he could be criticized.

As I observed this situation, I watched John sink lower and lower into his shell. He would show me programs that he had patiently assembled. They looked good. Later he would tell me that they had been delayed or stopped. If any of his ideas were later implemented, his boss took the credit.

We discussed the problem frequently and I suggested that he try giving his ideas piecemeal to his boss rather than as an entire package. Perhaps his boss would be able to digest the parts where he had been choking on the whole. This didn't work. John tried presenting program outlines at staff meetings, where his associates could lend support. Still no luck.

Other strategies met with the same fate until John finally gave up. By then his morale was at rock bottom. He did only what was absolutely necessary, and no more. I hated to see that much talent go to waste, but had no authority to intercede.

But, I am glad to say that the problem finally ended, and that John is now happy and productive again. His boss retired. (He was, incidentally, an ardent disciple of our one-time industrial psychologist.) The point of this latter case is that not all morale problems are quickly, if at all, solvable. In John's case, the morale problem literally resolved itself. But, problems usually don't go away without action. They must be detected and eliminated.

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