Staff Lost Their Drive? 5 Ways Leaders Can Inspire & Motivate

Sometimes, managing people can be... tricky. 

At other times, like during an unprecedented global pandemic (for example), it can be downright daunting. 

Have you ever noticed a shift in motivation, focus or just plain happiness among your staff? 

How long were they feeling that way before you picked up on it?

How did you go about lifting them back up? 

How did your methods work?

How you ever felt awkward or ill-equipped to help?

Constructive chat, Ron. Thanks for that. 

When we’re on ‘go-mode’ at work, it’s easy for leaders to miss shifts in demeanour and motivation in the team. When we eventually do come to address these things, being unprepared to deal with what arises can present a real challenge. 

With that in mind, here are a few tips for getting employees back on track to being inspired and motivated:

1. Spotting the difference

If you feel you can be a little slow on the uptake at noticing these types of changes, don’t sweat it. It’s a case of conscious detection. The act of setting a conscious intention to notice certain things is very powerful. Decide to make it a habit to find your inner Louis Theroux and practice the art of observation. 

Look for changes in:

• Tone of voice - bright and bubbly? Short and sharp?
• Colour of the face/cheeks - Are they flushed or pale? 
• Facial expression - Are they looking through you or avoiding eye contact?
• Body language - is it open or closed? Are they making themselves small?

By practising being present with your staff, you’ll soon learn to pick up on the subtleties. 

Why not schedule a chat with a staff member and ask them to tell you about a time that they’ve felt proud of themselves at work? Observe the above while they speak. 

Do the same again, but this time ask about a time that they haven't been happy. 

While they explain, observe the differences. 

By making a conscious effort to notice, you are empowering yourself to spot shifts in motivation much sooner. This means you can address any issues quicker. 

The result? Your staff will feel seen and understood and as a result, safe, inspired and motivated.

2. The role of values

You may not realise it, but values are of pivotal importance to who you are and how you operate. Your values trigger your behaviour and responses and all of us subconsciously seek to fulfil them at all times. 

When we feel our values are not being fulfilled, we lose our inner harmony. 

This results in stress, a loss of drive and demotivation. As a leader, understanding your own values and the role they play is vital to success and happiness. 

Once you grasp this knowledge of self, you will be able to help others navigate their own challenges when it comes to demotivation.

3. Be clear

Remember that your staff need direction and leadership; they need to feel like they are being heard and included: like they matter. 

In difficult times, people crave clear and regular communication and become disconnected without direction. Make sure everyone is on the same page. Be vocal in asking them; “What’s your experience at the moment?” Give them a chance to speak up. 

The way companies manage change plays a huge part in how staff respond on an emotional level. Navigating change too quickly will leave people feeling disconnected from the process. Take them on a journey through change, check in with them throughout, and make it clear their voice has value. This not only avoids assumptions being made in the absence of clear communication, but actually improves employee engagement by instilling a sense of security in the company: they trust that there’s a plan.

4.  Stability 

2020/21 in a nutshell.

The pandemic brought the challenge of demotivation to light for many employers. 

Not only was it your responsibility to sort out your own personal feelings and concerns, it also became your duty to provide a sense of stability for your staff. This was undoubtedly very hard - especially with ordinary, everyday work stresses still very present! 

Again, remind yourself that people can only move forward with confidence when they’re walking on firm foundations. Create human connection by keeping conversations open and being unafraid to show your own vulnerability.

To be an effective leader, you must acknowledge how you’re feeling first. Say it aloud or note it down.  Ask yourself: ‘What foundations do I need right now?’ 

In this context, that might be something like: 'I need to feel that I am safe in the unknown.' Once you acknowledge it, you’ll start to bring down one of the greatest barriers to progress: your own mind. Try to recall a time when you have successfully navigated something that felt scary or unstable. Remind yourself that the ability to overcome this is already within you.

Conjuring these personal feelings of safety will allow you to guide staff effectively from your own secure footing.

5. Need a hand?

If you’re in need of a helping hand with this, you’re in the right place. Our e learning, personal & professional development platform enables your staff to dive deeper than their surface emotions to recognise what's wrong and how to improve it.

We target the fundamental reasons why people might feel demotivated, unhappy or insecure. Based on the principles of neuroscience, we’ve developed our Subconscious Catalyst System (7-SCS) which focuses on the 7 areas of the mind from which we draw our responses and behaviours.

“The subconscious mind can be cleared out and renewed with possibility! The subconscious catalyst system allows you to plant the seeds of greatness. It puts you at the edge of empowerment.”

- Natalie Rae, Life Ladder Founder

By engendering incremental, continuous change, people are able to travel forward with all of their power and potential, free of internal conflict that holds them back, and keeps them fearful and demotivated. 

It may not seem like it, but we do not have to live with thought patterns that sabotage us. We don’t have to constantly battle reactionary responses. 

You can change lives from the inside out. It just takes that first step on the professional and personal development ladder.