Excessive check-box rulemaking certainly does. Clean-desk policies, bans on "personal items" (want a photo of your family on your desk? nope), strict uniform p

Excessive check-box rulemaking certainly does. Clean-desk policies, bans on "personal items" (want a photo of your family on your desk? nope), strict uniform policies ("failure to wear the company polo shirt AND jumper, even if it's 30C, will result in dismissal")... Individually the rules don't mean much. But when they're added together -- and especially if they're changed (removing 'dress-down Fridays', say) can end up creating a bit of a "death by a thousand papercuts" scenario. Because really, who's harmed by someone putting a photo of their wife and kid on their desk? Or a quiet little office toy (a stress ball maybe?) they were given at a trade show? But easily the biggest way you can show that you don't trust your employees is to pretend to listen to their concerns and suggestions for improving the workplace, only to laugh at them and dismiss them. That type of treatment is just about guaranteed to lose you good people. Let your staff work on their own initiative, foster their creativity, and they'll produce magic. And when they're slipping a bit - have a polite, private conversation, away from the eyes of the madding crowd and office gossipers, and ask how you (As a manager) or the company can help them. TL/DR: Treat your staff like adults.