How to Counsel an Employee Who Lacks Motivation
Employee productivity is critical to the success of any business. Employees who are unmotivated and lack enthusiasm tend to have low productivity and could negatively affect the overall mood of the workplace. As a manager, you need to be on the lookout for employees who lack motivation and counsel them to rebuild their healthy and motivated spirits. Such counseling should take place privately, because it can be embarrassing for an employee if you discuss the problem with him in front of his peers.
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Instructions
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Ask the employee to talk with you in a quiet place, such as your office or a meeting room, away from distractions and out of earshot of coworkers.
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Tell the employee you have some observations you would like to share regarding his level of motivation. Then, provide specific examples.
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Ask the employee how he feels about his job. Find out if he is bored, not challenged enough or overwhelmed with assignments. This opens the door for a two-way conversation about the employee's lack of motivation.
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Allow the employee to tell you what he believes is causing his low motivation. Listen to the employee, and do not get angry or defensive about what he has to say. It you stay calm and polite, he is less likely to become defensive.
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Go over the employee's previously established performance goals. Discuss where the employee is in terms of reaching those goals. If the goals have been met, this is a good time to come up with new ones that could motivate your employee more. If goals have not been met, point out the deficiency and explain that the lack of motivation is affecting the employee's work performance.
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Work together to find a way to increase the employee's motivation. Ask what would help the employee to feel more enthusiastic about the job. Don't make promises you can't keep, but consider any realistic ideas the employee suggests.
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Do not assume employees know how to motivate themselves. Be prepared to offer creative solutions.
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Agree on a plan of action that involves ways to identify improvements in the employee's motivation.
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Schedule follow-up meetings with the employee. You will want to check back to see if his motivation has improved as a result of the plan of action you decided upon. It is important to keep track of an employee who lacks motivation and maintain an open line of communication.
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References
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