When Superstars Lose Their Motivation
“I don’t think I’ve got anything else left to give. I know I can play, but I don’t want to.” This was quarterback Brett Favre’s tearful admission days ago as he announced his retirement from the Green Bay Packers. Though Favre’s timing may have been a surprise to some, the move from top performer to retirement-ready employee is something most managers have seen before.
We know that people seldom perform well when they “don’t want to.” But how can you re-motivate employees who’ve lost their zing? First, do some digging to find out what feelings your employees are experiencing. Are they disheartened because a team project is encountering insurmountable obstacles? Did a change in team makeup cause responsibilities to be shuffled in a way that seems unfair? Was someone promised a plum assignment but it never materialized? Once you figure out how they see the situation you’ll have a better idea how to reignite their motivation.
After you get a grip on the feelings and underlying situations, determine what you have to offer that may make the situation right. Here are some ideas you can try:
- Confront: Talk with the employees individually, speaking directly to them about the level of motivation they feel. Ask them what they would like to see changed and see what you can do to make progress toward that goal.
- Question Confidence: Use your best questioning skills to uncover any problems with the employees’ confidence levels. If they are not sure they have what it takes to get the job done, they may be reluctant to tell you. If self-confidence issues are present, work diligently to build the employees up – and as quickly as you can.
- Isolate Trust Problems: Unresolved trust issues cause motivation to evaporate but rebuilding broken trust can take a while. If there is a history of broken promises (or even a perception of broken promises) you must own up to your part in the situation and begin to make amends. Understand that it will take multiple iterations of promises fulfilled to balance out just one broken commitment.
While most of your employees will not have the wherewithal to retire at Brett Favre’s age, some certainly may have lost the desire to keep playing on your team. By probing for feelings first then addressing confidence and trust issues, you can give the members of your team a chance to stay together and keep winning.
In over twenty years of working with clients in various industries, I’ve seen some of the same problems pop up over and over. This blog will allow me to share some of those problems (and their potential solutions) with a wider audience. Feel free to comment here, whether you agree or disagree with my conclusions.Some of the topics I expect to cover are: