Recently, some friends were bemoaning the rash of layoffs when one parent joyfully exclaimed that her long-suffering son had just landed a job and was very happy. That’s great, I replied, does he enjoy the work? I received a very puzzled look followed by the comment, “What’s that got to do with it? He’s happy and that’s what counts.”

Another couple cheerily reported that their daughter had a stable position with an established company and was in line for a promotion. “She loves what she’s doing, and she’s earning a great salary, too.” Later, when I spoke to this young woman, she confided that she didn’t like the job or the company but stuck with it because she had a ton of debt and she couldn’t afford to leave.

So, what we’re dealing with here is the mistaken belief that happiness and job performance are somehow linked. In other words, if you’re happy, you’ll be productive which will earn you lots of money and thus you’ll be satisfied with your job. In fact, none of this is true.

Truth be told, there is no direct connection between personal happiness and job satisfaction. It does happen, but one doesn’t create or result from the other. Sometimes the two do coincide and that is probably what helps foster this myth.

And, contrary to popular belief there is no relationship between motivation and productivity either. Highly motivated employees can perform poorly, and a demoralized workforce can break performance records. Morale, motivation, job satisfaction, performance, and productivity are all separate issues and should be addressed independently.

Don’t misunderstand me, please. Healthy, verifiable workplace myths do help to build trust can motivate the workforce. It’s the fabricated myths that create false hope, divert energy and distract people from the purpose of their work.

Myths that demotivate

The job security myth. Finding a good job with a good company will lead to a good life. A good company is one that offers lifetime employment, promotional opportunities and great benefits. If layoffs do occur, those that keep their jobs falsely believe that the others were let go because they were “not good enough.”

The national ranking myth. Telling people that the company is ranked high by consumers or by some nonspecific ranking process. For example, claiming to be number one in your field. People tend to believe these myths, so it is both deceitful and demoralizing to the workforce when the truth comes out. Companies frequently get by with these unverifiable statements because no one bothers to check—which is probably why they do it.

The race or ethnic myth. Claiming that races of people or ethnic groups bring certain characteristics to the workplace creates a stereotypical impression that can result in prejudicial behaviors that unfairly restrict or enhance one race over another. The myth of race is a powerful demotivator because it keeps people from accepting coworkers for who they are and what they can contribute to the bottom line.

The place or location myth. Assigning attributes to people based upon where they come from, where they went to school, or where they currently reside is unhealthy because it adds yet another barrier between people. Where we came from has nothing to do with our capabilities, but when the myth says otherwise, a lot of energy can be wasted as people try to overcome negative impressions to “prove” themselves to their coworkers.

Myths that motivate

The overcoming obstacles myth. For this company to survive we had to overcome a series of adverse conditions. Equipment failure, foul weather, accidents and injuries, late start, accelerated deadlines, medical emergencies, leadership voids, loss of consumer confidence etc. This myth is positive because there’s a verifiable record that shows what people have achieved when they pulled together. Every time the bar is raised, or the goals are set higher, you can count on the folks to pitch in and come up with another extraordinary effort to surpass the existing record and set a new industry standard. 

The worthy cause myth. The work we do is highly prized by the people we serve. This myth has the power to attract people to public service who want to make a difference in the lives of others. Employees are motivated by a common belief that what they are doing is important to the greater community. 

The loyal customer myth. At some point in time enough customers were so impressed with the company’s products or services that they decided not to buy or shop anywhere else. Eventually, the brand or store name takes on an unmatched reputation that has its own life. People who come to work here take on the persona of unmatched excellence.

Myths of all kinds are going to circulate no matter what you do. The point is to keep those verifiable tales that work to your advantage and expunge those fabricated fables that don’t.