As well as reduced productivity and innovation, unmotivated employees can bring down the morale of others and depending on their role, they can also lead to decreased satisfaction with customers or clients. 

Employees can become unmotivated for a variety of reasons, and it's important for leaders to identify the root cause to address the issue effectively. Here are some common reasons why employees may become unmotivated: 

• Lack of recognition
• Poor communication or feeling unheard 
• Boredom or lack of a challenge
• Lack of opportunities for growth and development 
• Poor work-life balance 
• Unsupportive work environment 
• Lack of alignment to company values and goals. 

Effective leaders play a critical role in motivating their teams and creating a positive and productive work environment. Here are some ways leaders can motivate their teams: 

Set clear goals and expectations 

Ensure that your team knows what is expected of them and what goals they are working towards. This will give them direction and help them focus their efforts on achieving specific outcomes. 

Review how each employee's strengths align with their goals, so they feel energized and motivated to work towards achieving them.

Provide feedback and support 

Regular feedback and support can help your team members understand how they are performing and what they can do to improve. It is important to provide both positive feedback and constructive criticism to ensure that your team members feel valued and motivated. 

Help them prioritise their workload and offer solutions that encourage teamwork and collaboration with others. 

Lead by example 

As a leader, you need to model the behavior that you expect from your team. If you want your team to be accountable, passionate, and hardworking, then you need to demonstrate these qualities yourself.

Encourage collaboration

Encourage your team members to work together and share their ideas and insights. This can help foster a sense of teamwork and increase creativity and innovation. 

Develop your team's skills

Identify areas where your team members could improve their skills and offer training or coaching to help them develop. This can help them feel more confident and capable, which can lead to better performance. 

Celebrate success

When your team achieves its goals, take the time to celebrate their success. This can help build morale and motivate your team to continue to work hard.

How strengths can help motivate teams further

Highlighting the use of strengths within your teams can be powerful, not only by helping others identify how they’re valued but also by adding greater meaning and purpose to tasks. Instead of completing another task because it needs to be done, effective leaders will ask their teams, what are your opportunities to grow when doing this task? 

This gets them into a life-long learning perspective and focuses more on their development and makes everyday a little bit more interesting. Regular practice of using our strengths is a great way to encourage more confidence in your team’s abilities and make them feel more positive about themselves and the contributions to their team. 

People remember how you make them feel about themselves, and if that feeling regularly drums up words like confident, energised, and excited, you’re going to be more likely to keep your teams motivated, happy and productive. 

Here are some products that can help motivate teams.