I often see employees working unmotivated in the companies where they are, and often this doesn't mean they don't like the job or the role they perform, but that they have lost their enthusiasm for what they do. And when we stop believing in what we are doing, it soon ceases to have any meaning, and eventually we end up giving up.
Of course, motivation does not arise overnight and is not something that will suddenly happen in a person's professional life, especially when they are already discouraged, but it is a process that the leader needs to try to stimulate day after day, as if it were part of the routine tasks. In some cases, simple actions can change an employee's feelings. The difference lies in the perception of details.
However, the problem begins when leadership starts to see motivating the team as merely a duty. You must be wondering: why is this a problem when I said it needs to be part of the routine? It happens that from the moment the leader believes that motivating employees is just an item on their list and that it only needs to be done to check it off, it is a sign that it is not working.
According to data from a survey conducted by the consulting firm Robert Half, which aimed to understand how companies and workers feel about work, the role of leaders in consolidating employee happiness is considered highly relevant. About 94% of the interviewed professionals believe that satisfaction is influenced by leadership performance.
A quite significant number, don't you think? This only proves what I am saying about managers having a fundamental role in motivating the team and that some attitudes can really make a difference. For example, active listening by the leader can make people feel seen and heard, which will have a positive impact on how they see themselves within the company.
In this motivation process, employees need to understand that their respective roles make a difference to the organization as a whole and that together, they are part of a large gear that enables the business to operate. And this will only be possible to understand if the leadership points out and shows that everyone has their value, encouraging them to become better and better.
One of the ways a leader can motivate and keep the team motivated is by clearly communicating the direction they are heading, what the objectives are, and why they exist. Throughout the months, in meetings, this leader should practice the active listening I mentioned earlier and direct the efforts of team members towards this team mission that contributes to the organization's mission.
Frustrating expectations is also a way to undermine motivation; for this reason, having clear metrics that show we have achieved the goal is essential. This will facilitate interactions, making discussions more objective and less laden with other qualitative factors that often cause more noise and distraction than contribute to achieving the goal.
Motivating employees is not just an obligation
