Maybe you should fire someone (head criticizer or two) and take control of your firm. Giving out little carrots will only work in the short term. It's a band-aid on a larger cancer. Sounds like you have become their buddy (that they no longer respect) rather than their standard. I once worked in a firm where two guys began to unjustly critize everything about the firm, openly and very sarcastically. The partners did nothing to stop it and the constant criticism began to sour everyone. Even those that didn't participate. Since the two guys were so unhappy, I couldn't understand why they didn't just leave the firm - jobs were plentyful at the time. Rather, they stayed. It took about a year to destroy probably the best office I worked in during my 44 years - including my own office.
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Richard Barron AIA
Jackson MS
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