Do you want to become an expert demotivator? If so, you can try the following!

Discourage everyone from everything. Never appreciate, instead, find fault all the time. Be very, very, generous with criticism. Be very, very, stingy with praise. When you appraise or evaluate, ensure that your grades are never A; make people believe that A is almost impossible to achieve. Overpower everyone around you with logic and argument. Abandon even a semblance of listening. Believe that your ideas are the best and only worthwhile ideas. Think of yourself as perfect and everyone else as deeply flawed.

Make it your mission to spout advice like a fountain and spray everyone with it. Assume, presume and prejudge! Give the least importance to everyone else and their needs. Be totally self-centered and selfish. Insist on hogging the credit and indeed, the limelight. When things go wrong launch a witchunt and then play the blame game. Withhold resources and information. Create conditions for people to fail. Lay traps for others. When someone falls into a hole, gloat. Always tell people “I told you so” when problems occur. In a crisis head for the hills leaving your team to face the music. Threaten, cajole and emotionally blackmail everyone else to get your way. Dither and dally but don’t ever be decisive. Try to shift responsibilities and decisions on to others. Say one thing and do another. Be late all the time. Talk constantly on the mobile phone when you are with someone or in a meeting especially when you are the boss. Specialize in flip-flops and inconsistency. Let your people be always unclear about what you stand for and what you really believe in. Ensure that you are always partial and play favorites. Talk badly about your colleagues or subordinates to their subordinates. Respect for another person is something that you must never show. And, make sure you use foul language even in the presence of ladies.

Many of us have a natural talent for all this! Be warned: if you do behave this way, you’ll walk alone because no one can bear to be with you.