After his arrival, the new Deutsche Bank boss Christian Sewing wrote a staff letter. There are some passages that show how you should not do it.
The greatest appreciation is not for the employees, but for the predecessor John Cryan. Sewing writes: “First of all, I would therefore like to thank John for our almost three years together on the Board of Managing Directors and for his enormous commitment to our Bank. He has led us through extremely difficult times (…)”.
This entry is followed by praise for our own company and the quality of our balance sheet. This is somewhat surprising, as the bank has only been in the red for three years. One way of sincerely praising the employees would have been to put their commitment first and admit the mistakes made by the management.
Afterwards, the employees only get to hear what they need to improve. For example, “regain the hunter mentality” or “raise the bar again”. In addition, “setbacks such as in the fourth quarter of 2017 (…) must not be repeated under any circumstances”. Employees are not told a precise strategy on how this is to be achieved. They are only told that the future management will not accept any further failure to meet the targets and will take tough action. This is not motivation, it sounds like a threat.
Sewing concludes: “No one will give us anything. We will have to fight, and I and my team are ready for that. Because it’s worth it!” For all the bonuses cashing in is certainly worth it. An incentive for the rest of the workforce is not specified.
IF YOU WRITE A LETTER TO YOUR EMPLOYEES AND WANT TO MOTIVATE THEM, YOU SHOULD CONSIDER THESE POINTS:
- mention how important the employees’ contribution is.
- formulate clear calls for action.
- emphasize concrete incentives.
With DIKT leadership training, we help you to communicate in such a way that you win people over. This strengthens your image and helps you to position yourself successfully in the company.
Contact: office@medientraining-institut.de
Photo: Deutsche Bank (https://www.db.com/newsroom/de/bilder.htm?album=3912&page=2#preview-media-527143)