Letitia Williams » Is Your Team Motivated or Just Faking It?

In today’s workplace, a scarcity mindset often prevails. Organisational cultures are frequently shaped by a "survival of the fittest" mentality, where team members and departments compete against each other for recognition and resources. In such environments, it's natural for employees to prioritise job security over authenticity. Knowing whether your team members are genuinely happy and motivated is essential for the success of your team.

Employee motivation is crucial because it directly impacts job performance. If you’re facing challenges with your team's performance, consider engagement levels as a critical factor. Low engagement is often the top reason employees resign. To retain valuable talent, it’s essential to understand whether they are genuinely motivated—or just putting on a facade. Once you know, you can take steps to address the problem.

How Do You Know If They're Faking It?

Researchers define work engagement as “a positive, fulfilling, work-related state of mind”. Don't wait for the results of your annual employee satisfaction survey to start focusing on engagement. Instead, use the survey to measure your ongoing efforts in keeping your team engaged. Think of it like a relationship—if you care about someone, you wouldn't only check in once a year. The same principle applies to employee engagement. Regular, open conversations are key.

Beyond weekly team meetings, one-on-one check-ins with your direct reports help you understand each team member's unique motivations. Motivation varies from person to person, depending on their career stage and life circumstances. As a manager, your goal is to know your team so well that you can discern when someone is being genuine. It also means identifying patterns in their behaviour.

Signs Your Employees Might Be Disengaged

Some common signs of disengagement include:

Lack of Enthusiasm: Minimal effort beyond what is required, showing little passion for their work or the team.
Disinterest in the Organisation: Minimal engagement with the company’s mission or their role's importance, which often reflects in poor customer service.
Strained Relationships: Tension or conflict with managers and colleagues.
Negative Attitude: Open complaints about work, contributing to a toxic atmosphere.
Reduced Efficiency: A lack of connection to their role, leading to negligence or mistakes.
Low Loyalty: A diminished sense of commitment to the organisation.
Higher Stress and Insecurity: Increased anxiety and uncertainty about their job.
Dissatisfaction with Personal Life: A sense that work negatively impacts their overall well-being.
Frequent Absences: Higher rates of absenteeism and tardiness, often attributed to illness or low morale.

When employees feel it's safer to "fake it" than to be honest, it’s often due to a culture where voicing concerns leads to negative consequences. In such environments, managers may spend more time dealing with recruitment, disciplinary and poor performance issues than on activities that truly drive success. If you want a genuinely motivated team, you need to take control of what you can influence.

How to Inspire True Motivation as a Leader

Be Intentional About Engagement: Prioritise and actively work on fostering engagement within your team.
Build Trust: Cultivate a culture of trust by being fair, transparent, and consistent in your actions.
Encourage Open Communication: Be fully present in conversations, listen carefully, and withhold judgment.
Support Growth and Development: Understand your employees’ career and life aspirations and help them see how their role connects to their personal goals.
Show Appreciation: Recognise and reward performance and effort.
Build a Sense of Community: Help employees see how their roles contribute to the team's success and the broader organisation.
Prioritise Wellbeing: Actively work to reduce stress and create a supportive work environment.
Optimise the Work Environment: Ensure your team has the tools and resources they need to perform efficiently.

Remember, you can only control what’s within your influence, and how you manage and motivate your team is certainly within your control. This power is special because you have the ability to shape how your employees experience their work—the place where they spend the majority of their waking hours. When you care for your team, they will take care of the work.

If you found this article helpful, feel free to like and share it with someone who could also benefit from today’s insights. Your support will make a difference!

References:

Heikkeri, E. (2010). Roots and consequences of the employee disengagement phenomenon.

Schaufeli, W. B., Salanova, M., González-Romá, V., & Bakker, A. B. (2002). The measurement of engagement and burnout: A two-sample confirmatory factor analytic approach. Journal of Happiness Studies, 3(1), 71–92.