What do you do if your team members lack motivation and need to achieve high performance?

Every organization aspires to be a High Performance Organization so that they are able to achieve Total Organization Performance. Employees form an integral part to drive the aspiration, hence the need for motivation. 1. Identify Root Causes: Conduct Focused Group Discussions to understand challenges, needs and underlying reasons for low motivation 2. Create a collaborative Action Plan with the element of WIIFM and Provide support & resources to work on the Action Plan 3. Communicate clear expectations & importance on goals and performance 4. Create a platform for Rewards & Recognition for high performance 5. Provide Coaching & Feedback on an ongoing basis 6. Encourage growth & development by providing opportunities for skill development

What's the gap? Is it a mismatch between personal values and the team culture? A move to another part of the organization or even outside might be best. Is it problems with getting stuff done? Then, training for the required skills could be advisable, or you investing in giving feedback and providing coaching. Or, is it doing the same for 10 years without variety and a lost connection to the bigger "why"? Job crafting is a wonderful exercise that helps identify ways how employees can get more of what they need for their careers by modifying elements of their roles, thinking about their work differently or enhancing their relationships with colleagues. Find the gap first, together discuss possible solutions, and make it happen!

When team members lack motivation and high performance is needed, it's crucial to address the root causes. Start by fostering open communication to understand individual concerns and obstacles. Provide clarity on goals and expectations, emphasizing the significance of their contributions. Offer support and resources to help them overcome challenges. Implement motivational strategies such as recognition, rewards, and opportunities for growth. Encourage autonomy and ownership over tasks to boost engagement. Lead by example, demonstrating enthusiasm and commitment. Foster a positive team culture that values collaboration and celebrates achievements. Continuous feedback and coaching can also help in maintaining motivation .

People with few big, stretching goals outperform those who don't have them or have too many. That's a fact. Investing time in setting goals that are business- and person-relevant, meaningful, clear, and developmental, already delivers a healthy dose of motivation. But also, check out the book "Progress Principle" by Teresa Amabile from Harvard where she shows that the follow up on the progress towards the goals with regular feedback is even a more effective motivator and is vital for achieving results that delight our stakeholders and ourselves. Motivation that comes from the work itself is more meaningful, taps into the deep need for becoming a better version of ourselves, and you probably already have the processes and tools to unlock it!

It’s important to not avoid discussing performance gaps with underperforming team members. Be sure to take the time to explain your expectations and develop a picture of success. Coaching, training, and providing frequent feedback to these employees will give them the best chance to be a successful team member.

One of the team member despite having the capability was not performing to the fullest requiring constant reminders and supervision. I had a conversation to understand the challenges pertaining to role match/mismatch and skill match/mismatch from aspirational point in addition to also understanding challenges in personal life and within the team. It was understood that, he was expecting different role content than his current one which he felt was way too junior to his making him feel dissatisfied with the overall job, hence contribution. Changing the role led to improved contributions in the subsequent periods.