Rate this Column: (Be the First!)   Thanks for your rating!
Peter F. Drucker | Robert W. Swaim | demotivation index | Training & Learning

What kind of environment does your workplace foster? Take the De-Motivation Index test - based on Dr. Peter Drucker's theories on motivation - to find out. 

Organizational De-Motivation Index 

Instructions

1. Read each of the 12 statements below and check (x) on the scales where you feel your organization is, from 1 (Never Occurs) to 9 (Always Occurs).

 2. Total your scores and refer to the scoring key to determine your organization’s “De-Motivation Index.”

My organization:

 1. Creates a company environment of internal politics as the way to get promoted.

  1       2        3                          4       5        6                       7        8        9  

[    ]    [    ]    [    ]                        [    ]    [    ]    [    ]                  [    ]    [    ]    [    ]

Never Occurs to               Sometimes Occurs           Often to Always Occurs     

 Very Seldom

2. Promotes destructive internal competition between workers.

  1       2        3                         4       5        6                       7        8        9  

[    ]    [    ]    [    ]                      [    ]    [    ]    [    ]                  [    ]    [    ]    [    ]

Never Occurs to               Sometimes Occurs           Often to Always Occurs     

 Very Seldom

3. Changes the rules in the middle of a project.

  1       2        3                         4       5        6                       7        8        9  

[    ]    [    ]    [    ]                      [    ]    [    ]    [    ]                  [    ]    [    ]    [    ]

Never Occurs to              Sometimes Occurs           Often to Always Occurs     

 Very Seldom

4.  Creates unclear expectations regarding employee’sperformance and results.

  1       2        3                         4       5        6                       7        8        9  

[    ]    [    ]    [    ]                      [    ]    [    ]    [    ]                 [    ]    [    ]    [    ]

Never Occurs to              Sometimes Occurs          Often to Always Occurs     

 Very Seldom

5.  Creates a bureaucracy of forms and reports and unnecessary rules for individuals to follow.

  1       2        3                         4       5        6                       7        8        9  

[    ]    [    ]    [    ]                      [    ]    [    ]    [    ]                  [    ]    [    ]    [    ]

Never Occurs to              Sometimes Occurs           Often to Always Occurs     

 Very Seldom

6. Over manages (tells what to do, how to do, and controls) vs. leading and does not allow autonomy.

  1       2        3                         4       5        6                      7        8        9  

[    ]    [    ]    [    ]                     [    ]    [    ]    [    ]                  [    ]    [    ]    [    ]

Never Occurs to              Sometimes Occurs           Often to Always Occurs     

 Very Seldom

7. Withholds information that individuals need to perform their jobs, lying, and claiming it’s a misunderstanding.

  1       2        3                        4       5        6                      7        8        9  

[    ]    [    ]    [    ]                     [    ]    [    ]    [    ]                 [    ]    [    ]    [    ]

Never Occurs to            Sometimes Occurs          Often to Always Occurs     

 Very Seldom

8. Takes time from people by having them attend unproductive meetings.

  1       2        3                        4       5        6                      7        8        9  

[    ]    [    ]    [    ]                      [    ]    [    ]    [    ]                  [    ]    [    ]    [    ]

Never Occurs to             Sometimes Occurs           Often to Always Occurs     

 Very Seldom

9. Emphasizes criticism and negative feedback vs. recognition and positive feedback.

  1       2        3                        4       5        6                       7        8        9  

[    ]    [    ]    [    ]                     [    ]    [    ]    [    ]                  [    ]    [    ]    [    ]

Never Occurs to               Sometimes Occurs          Often to Always Occurs     

 Very Seldom

10. Tolerates poor performance of others so that high performing people feel taken advantage of.

   1       2        3                     4       5        6                      7        8        9  

[    ]    [    ]    [    ]                   [    ]    [    ]    [    ]                  [    ]    [    ]    [    ]

Never Occurs to          Sometimes Occurs          Often to Always Occurs     

 Very Seldom 

11. Treats people unfairly and show favoritism to a select few.

  1       2        3                     4       5        6                   7        8        9  

[    ]    [    ]    [    ]                   [    ]    [    ]    [    ]               [    ]    [    ]    [    ]

Never Occurs to          Sometimes Occurs        Often to Always Occurs     

 Very Seldom

12. Underutilizes the capabilities of people and inhibits their personal growth.

   1       2        3                     4       5        6                   7        8        9  

[    ]    [    ]    [    ]                   [    ]    [    ]    [    ]               [    ]    [    ]    [    ]

Never Occurs to          Sometimes Occurs        Often to Always Occurs     

 Very Seldom

Total your score and refer to the “De-Motivation Scoring Matrix” below.

TOTAL SCORE    ________

 If you are still uncertain as to what action to take, answer the questions below.

 Putting You Over the Top

If your score was 72 or higher, answer the additional questions below. This may help you in reaching a decision in terms of how long you should remain committed to your organization.

The person I directly report to and the management team he/she is part of:

1. Cannot be trusted and relied on – has no integrity of character.

   1       2        3                     4       5        6                   7        8        9  

[    ]    [    ]    [    ]                   [    ]    [    ]    [    ]               [    ]    [    ]    [    ]

Cannot Be Trusted        Sometimes Trusted        Often to Always Be Trusted

 Has No Intregrity            Has Some Integrity         & Always has Integrity

 2. Is inconsistent – goes in the direction that the political wind is blowing.

   1       2        3                     4       5        6                   7        8        9  

[    ]    [    ]    [    ]                   [    ]    [    ]    [    ]               [    ]    [    ]    [    ]

Very Inconsistent      Somewhat Inconsistent    Often to Always Inconsistent

3. Tries to pretend to be somebody they are not and wants to be popular.

  1       2        3                     4       5        6                   7        8        9  

[    ]    [    ]    [    ]                   [    ]    [    ]    [    ]               [    ]    [    ]    [    ]

Seldom Pretends          Sometimes Pretends Often to Always Pretends

4. Does not set the right example and cannot be taken seriously.

   1       2        3                       4       5        6                   7        8        9  

[    ]    [    ]    [    ]                     [    ]    [    ]    [    ]               [    ]    [    ]    [    ]

Does Not Set Example      Sometimes Sets        Often to Always Sets

 & Not Taken Seriously            Example                Example & Taken Seriously             

5. Does not encourage the contributions, ideas, and opinions of others when making important decision

  1       2        3                     4       5        6                       7        8        9  

[    ]    [    ]    [    ]                   [    ]    [    ]    [    ]                   [    ]    [    ]    [    ]

Never Encourages     Sometimes Encourages    Often to Always Encourages

6. Does not respect the knowledge of others.

  1       2        3                     4       5        6                   7        8        9  

[    ]    [    ]    [    ]                   [    ]    [    ]    [    ]               [    ]    [    ]    [    ]

Never Respects           Sometimes Respects     Often to Always Respects

7. Takes, but does not give credit for results.

  1       2        3                     4       5        6                   7        8        9  

[    ]    [    ]    [    ]                   [    ]    [    ]    [    ]               [    ]    [    ]    [    ]

Always Takes &                 Sometimes Takes        Often to Always Gives

         Never Gives                   & Gives                        & Seldom to Never Takes              

8. Has no vision of the future and tries to make him/herself essential to the organization.

  1       2        3                     4       5        6                   7        8        9  

[    ]    [    ]    [    ]                   [    ]    [    ]    [    ]               [    ]    [    ]    [    ]

No Vision &                           Some Vision                Has Vision &

Makes Essential                  & Some Essential      Does Not Make Self Essential  

9. Is unwilling to admit mistakes in front of his/her employees.

  1       2        3                     4       5        6                   7        8        9  

[    ]    [    ]    [    ]                   [    ]    [    ]    [    ]               [    ]    [    ]    [    ]

Unwilling                   Sometimes Willing            Often to Always Willing  

10. Does not share information that would be useful to others or explain the reasons for decisions he/she makes.

  1       2        3                     4       5        6                   7        8        9  

[    ]    [    ]    [    ]                   [    ]    [    ]    [    ]               [    ]    [    ]    [    ]

Never Shares               Sometimes Shares             Often to Always Shares

Or Explains                       & Explains                       & Explains

11. Is unwilling to change his/her mind even when someone else comes up with a good idea.

  1       2        3                     4       5        6                   7        8        9  

[    ]    [    ]    [    ]                   [    ]    [    ]    [    ]               [    ]    [    ]    [    ]

 Unwilling                  Sometimes Willing             Often to Always Willing

Total your score and refer to the “Over the Top Scoring Matrix” below.

TOTAL SCORE    ________

 Copyright © Robert W. Swaim, Ph.D. (2004). All Rights Reserved.

Where the Rubber Hits the Road

 Investigate where you scored 5 or over in Part I, or 5 or under in Part II. This will provide some insights as to how motivating or de-motivating your organizational environment is and what changes may be necessary.

 Your Actions as the Manager

 Refer to the statements in both parts of the De-motivation Index. These were management actions that Drucker felt contributed to employee de-motivation. Which actions do you need to change to create a more positive and motivating environment?

**Human Resources IQ is interested in learning about your test results. Please email us your results at publisher@humanresourcesiq.com

First published on www.processexcellencenetwork.com.

Contributor:   Robert W. Swaim

Dr. Robert W. Swaim was a colleague and personal friend of Drucker’s for nearly thirty years and worked with him for five years prior to his death to develop both the Drucker EMBA and Executive Development Programs that are now offered in China. He is no doubt the foremost authority in Asia on Drucker’s work and in this article he attempts to relate a number of Drucker’s concepts to today’s present uncertain environment – what would Drucker have said about this and would his concepts still be applicable? Dr. Swaim also expands on these views in his new book that was released in 2010, The Strategic Drucker: Peter Drucker’s Strategies for Business Growth published by John Wiley and Sons (Asia) Pte Ltd. He may be reached via email at: docswaim@gmail.com.

You Should Check Out:

Picking People: Systematically Matching Strengths with Opportunities