Strategies for Motivating and Inspiring Underperforming Team Members
People can quickly jump to conclusions when an employee is not doing well. Some may think it is due to bad attitudes, laziness, or intelligence problems. However, you must remember that everyone faces different challenges and has specific coping methods.
Hence, as a leader, your duty is to empathise, understand their perspective, and find ways to motivate and inspire underperforming employees.
Ways to Motivate and Inspire Your Team
Dealing with these challenges can be daunting and complex. However, emotional and mental well-being can impact various factors in your organisation.
While you are not expected to be your employees' therapist, providing your support through simple steps can make a huge difference.
Understand the Problem
Finding the root cause of every problem is one of the most important lessons that can be learned through a leadership course.
Never assume; instead, try to build trust and understand any underlying issues, as their underperformance might be due to:
Lack of skills
Unclear expectations
Job dissatisfaction
Stressful work environment
Inadequate training and development opportunities
Cultural differences
Personal issues
Recognise Their Efforts
Recognising employees' efforts is essential to maintain their motivation and job satisfaction. Acknowledging their hard work fosters a positive work environment, boosts morale, and strengthens the employee-employer relationship.
Cheering them on and noticing what they do best can encourage higher productivity, foster loyalty, and contribute to overall team success.
Be Straightforward Yet Empathetic
Feedback is vital to individual and team development. However, not everyone understands this and may take offence when they receive criticism or negative feedback.
To mitigate this, always accompany negative reviews with specific examples or constructive suggestions on how projects or tasks could have been handled differently. Demonstrating concern for their growth and development shows that you genuinely want them to improve.
Additionally, acknowledging their achievements and mentioning specific goals they have reached exhibits care for their future, fostering motivation and encouraging continued active engagement.
Follow Up
Addressing the issue of underperformance requires more than just a single meeting. Allowing the employee sufficient time to improve and implement proposed changes is crucial.
This is why scheduling regular meetups to offer guidance and support is advisable. Monitor their progress, provide necessary resources, and hold your member accountable. This will make them feel appreciated.
Lastly, trust them. Let them work on themselves and believe they will strive to enhance their performance.
Provide Personal Time
Encouraging work-life balance is a long-term approach that can help motivate your members. Promoting this approach from the beginning can proactively prevent underperformance.
As a leader, you must recognise that an excessive workload can lead to fatigue and burnout, adversely affecting your team’s performance. Inspire your team to take time off, rejuvenate, and maintain their motivation and productivity.
Boost Your Team’s Morale with Corporate Learning Solutions
While keeping your team motivated and inspired may sometimes give you unwanted pressure, this is an inevitable part of your leadership responsibilities.
So to help you fulfil this role, it is best to invest in their development and empower them through their career journey by seeking help from Corporate Learning Solutions.
We are leadership specialists aiming to help businesses create influential leaders capable of leading change. Through our programs, we aspire to help elevate your team's overall performance, leading to greater success for your organisation.
Visit our website now https://www.corplearn.com.au/.
