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Do You Know What Low Motivation is a Sign Of?

January 14, 2022

By Linda Olejniczak, courtesy of SBAM Approved Partner ASE

Stress! Who hasn’t been under stress the past two years? There are telltale signs happening at companies every day. Your staff is not going to announce at the next meeting “I am so unmotivated”, but they are certainly showing you. Here are some signs they are unmotivated due to stress:

  • Employees showing up late to work
  • Missing or showing up late to meetings
  • Calling in often
  • Only doing the bare minimum required
  • Not contributing
  • Withdrawing from coworkers
  • Mood or attitude changes
  • Productivity levels are down

Diane Johnston, PLLC, Co-Founder, Thaar Care Foundation stated, “In today’s world of COVID, clients are needing more validation, feedback, and reflective listening. Between home schooling, COVID protocol, lack of socialization, it is nice to at least be validated and heard at work. Practicing validation can be as simple as ‘I heard what you said (can repeat what you heard) and I appreciate that,’ or ‘thank you I appreciate you’. The workplace place is where we spend most of our time, and employers should not take for granted that our employees are all ok.”

Employees could be in a low motivation trap.  Managers need to use strategies to help pull them out.   

  • Connect the Dots– What task excites which employees?  Show how a task contributes to overall goals. This may resonate with the employees.
  • Capacity – If an employee is overwhelmed or stressed out, they won’t complete a task or feel they can.   Managers need to express the confidence they have in employees and the resources they have available to complete a project. 
  • Coach – You may have a motivated employee who is working with complacent staff members. This is the perfect storm to low motivation.  Coach everyone on the team on how to collaborate and give them permission to do things differently.
  • Challenges – Help employees learn from challenges and identify ways to adopt a new strategy. Organizations who encourage feedback and value lessons learned will always overcome and succeed.

Managers can motivate and inspire employees by implementing some of these tactics for best results:

  • Praise
  • Encourage
  • Respect
  • Transparency
  • Fun Environment
  • Incentive Programs
  • Welcome Feedback
  • Work Life Balance
  • Flexible Work Schedules
  • Wellness in the Workplace
  • Less Micromanaging, More Ownership
  • Promote Professional Development

One size does not fit all. Get to know what motivates each employee.  Some may be motivated by extrinsic motivation like incentives, days off, bonuses, and pay raises.  Others appreciate intrinsic motivation that revolves around positive feedback, feeling heard, and valued.

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