What are the most common challenges in motivating employees? (2024)

Key takeaways from this article

• Set SMART goals:

  Creating goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound gives your team clarity and direction. Regularly discuss these goals to keep everyone aligned and motivated.

• Continuous feedback:

  Establish a culture of ongoing feedback. This ensures performance issues are addressed promptly and recognition is given regularly, helping employees feel valued and informed about their contributions.

This summary is powered by AI and these experts

• Wesley Seaton, M.Ed. Operations Executive - Transformative…
• Chris Clevenger Leadership • Team Building • Leadership…

• Chris Clevenger Leadership • Team Building • Leadership Development • Team Leadership • Lean Manufacturing • Continuous Improvement • Change Management • Employee Engagement • Teamwork • Operations Management

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  A topic that keeps leaders on their toes: how to motivate employees. Here are my thoughts:- Individual Differences: People have unique motivators. Learn what each team member values. - Generational Gaps: Different age groups prioritize different things. Adapt your style accordingly. - Remote Work: It's hard to keep remote teams engaged. Frequent check-ins can help. - Changing Goals: If company goals shift, make sure your team knows why and how they fit in.- Burnout Alert: Keep an eye out for tired team members. Encourage time off to recharge.Bottom line, there's no one-size-fits-all when it comes to motivation. Be flexible, be attentive, and remember, you're all in this together.

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  Although motivation is a personal responsibility in my view, leaders can help support employees being motivated by ensuring that there is a clear direction and clear goals to drive them and the team forward. By establishing a clear direction, the employees know where they are going, which usually boosts motivation. When that is said, it's important to remember that motivation is also a personal responsibility. If motivation is low, employees should take the time to understand what's lacking and why they aren't motivated and take the necessary steps to mitigate this. This can include talking to their leaders to find new projects that might challenge them in new ways.

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• Antonio Terassovich Head de Carreira FECAP | Top Voice | Consultor e Professor de MBA - FIA-USP e FECAP | Desenvolvimento de Liderança | Transição de Carreira | Mentoria | PCC - ICF |

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  Encontre o Propósito de Vida do colaborador dentro do trabalho.Quando os funcionários sentem que seu propósito está alinhado com o propósito da empresa, os benefícios se expandem para aumentar a MOTIVAÇÃO, incluir mais engajamento dos colegas, maior lealdade e uma maior vontade de recomendar a empresa para outros.Mas lembrando, enquanto as empresas e seus os líderes podem ter uma grande influência sobre o propósito individual de seus funcionários, eles têm controle direto limitado sobre isso. As empresas, portanto, precisam ENTENDER os funcionários para ajudá-los a otimizar o seu senso de realização no trabalho, e assim, criar um ambiente que facilite a motivação.Fonte: McKinsey

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  It is true that employees will get motivated if they relate to the Management Talk about Vision translating into clear and concise Goals (output). Also, employees should be able to co-relate their work with Organizations Goals.

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• Csaba Toth Founder of ICQ Global | Measuring and optimising psychological safety, motivational drive and cognitive diversity | ICF Executive Coach | Author | Keynote Speaker | Forbes | HBR |

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  It is absolutely true that often the level of motivation comes from the clarity of the goal and how much it is aligned with our own values and needs. That is the exactly the challenge...as something can be so obvious to us that it is almost impossible to imagine that other people are not driven by what we like, indeed, they might even want to avoid it at all costs. Relying on common sense and good intention to motivate people can majestically backfire. The Golden rule (treat people the way you want to be treated) sounds great from an ethical perspective until it comes down to managing and serving people. Having said that, if we are clear about this invisible challenge, we can start working on the solution...getting to know others.

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• Wesley Seaton, M.Ed. Operations Executive - Transformative Leader - Kindness is Key

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  Giving feedback can seem scary, but it's a skill that grows as you become more comfortable as a leader in understanding that the higher your team performs, the more time you have to do your own job. Build mechanisms for providing formal and informal feedback, and remember that staff should never be hearing about performance issues for the first time during middle- or end-of-year evaluations.

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• Marcelo de Abreu LinkedIn Top Voice Leadership and Conflict Management - VP at Employer Tudo do RH, driving business growth | CEO National Bank of Employment and Labor Brazil | Business Strategy | Career, Leadership and Innovation

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  O feedback, assim como o reconhecimento individual de cada colaborador, ao meu ver, é o que os motivam, norteiam e esclarecem o seu lugar dentro de uma equipe e corporação. Como os colaboradores vão saber onde estão errando e acertando se o líder não dizer? É preciso falar o óbvio. É preciso reconhecer o esforço diário dos que estão ao seu lado, fazendo de tudo para que os processos deem certo. Acredito que o maior erro das lideranças é não valorizar seus talentos. Por isso, feedbacks construtivos e o reconhecimento tendem a ser o primeiro grande passo para manter uma equipe engajada e o colaborador valorizado.

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• Marcel Schwantes My keynotes, coaching, and courses solve challenging people and leadership problems.

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  Today, many employees are doing more with fewer resources, leading to high levels of burnout but also an increased desire to be recognized for their contributions. While the occasional "thank you" and "nice work" is always appreciated, employees crave a higher quality and quantity of recognition.Recent research by Achievers Workforce Institute uncovered that those who are recognized weekly by their managers are 10 times more likely to recommend their managers than those who are never recognized. Solution #1: Give workers recognition and praise at least once per week. Solution #2: More frequent one-on-ones, weekly planning sessions, and daily check-in meetings are ways that you can give more regular feedback.

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  When an employee is not being recognised for what they are doing, this can breed feeling underappreciated or resentment. Especially if they have been told that this is what is expected, or if they watch someone else similarly rewarded. Note which minority groups within your company culture are implicitly under-recognised.

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• Guilherme Bonaroti IT Executive | Managing Director (MD) | Program Manager | Chief Operations Officer (COO)

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  Nos meus feedbacks eu utilizo as 3 regras abaixo:1. Me preparo antes da conversa. Qual é a principal mensagem que quero passar para a pessoa? Como quero deixá-la ao final da conversa? Pensativa, energizada, preocupada?2. Durante a conversa em escuto 80% do tempo, e falo 20%.3. Ao final da conversa, eu faço a pergunta: "Dessa conversa, o que foi importante para você?"

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• Marcelo de Abreu LinkedIn Top Voice Leadership and Conflict Management - VP at Employer Tudo do RH, driving business growth | CEO National Bank of Employment and Labor Brazil | Business Strategy | Career, Leadership and Innovation

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  Assumir responsabilidades pode proporcionar autonomia. Isso quer dizer que há confiança no trabalho executado. E que o colaborador está apto ao crescimento e desenvolvimento profissional. Acredito que todo esse processo torna o profissional mais motivado, pois é perceptível sua capacidade e o reconhecimento pelo seu esforço foi percebido! Dar ordens e esperar que cumpram com os “comandos” não é o esperado de um líder. Pelo contrário, todo líder precisa saber delegar, e isso envolve depositar confiança em sua equipe. Para isso, é indispensável que você conheça as habilidades de cada membro do seu time. E ensinar o próximo é o melhor caminho para isso!

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  Be deliberate about the strengths of your employees. Find what they do well and actively tap into their expertise. Good managers will find **and create** opportunities for their employees to contribute. And good employees will build on that support, becoming empowered and taking initiative. If you put parameters on their contributions and capabilities, you limit the output. If you give them room to grow, and think for themselves, you get boundless potential.

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• Csaba Toth Founder of ICQ Global | Measuring and optimising psychological safety, motivational drive and cognitive diversity | ICF Executive Coach | Author | Keynote Speaker | Forbes | HBR |

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  Autonomy is one of the most important intrinsic motivators according to Daniel Pink, although how much of that is motivating and how much of that is way too much depends on the individual's personal preferences and what they are used to. Some people thrive when they have complete freedom, others panic when they are not sure what is allowed and what is needed exactly. Leaders (just like parents) should give people the freedom they can handle safely. Empowerment sounds great and it can be motivating, but it can also be seen as lack of caring or support depending how much certainty somebody needs. That is why it is crucial to get to know employees in terms of what they value, what they need and what they are capable of.

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• Lata Verghese Founder and CEO @ Questa Talent Solutions | LinkedIn Top Voice I Talent Assessments I Leadership Development

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  Having worked with a micromanager , I can relate to this completely ! If someone is constantly looking over your shoulder , and quick to see the mistakes and highlight them, it leaves you with a feeling of low job satisfaction . Managers need to learn to delegate , and review processes rather than review people ! This will bring out more creativity , out of the box thinking and higher engagement for the employee , and considerably improve their well being

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  I agree, giving your employees room to act can be an absolute game changer in their motivation. This might be something as straightforward as offering flexibility in when, where and how they do their jobs. Or freedom to take decisions. If you trust your team members you can be sure they will use this freedom wisely.

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• Marcelo de Abreu LinkedIn Top Voice Leadership and Conflict Management - VP at Employer Tudo do RH, driving business growth | CEO National Bank of Employment and Labor Brazil | Business Strategy | Career, Leadership and Innovation

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  Acredito que o primeiro passo para o desenvolvimento de um colaborador é traçar metas, objetivos e deixar claro as expectativas. Ele precisa saber onde chegar. O segundo passo é dar as ferramentas certas para que ele chegue a esse lugar. Despertando essa vontade de crescer e se desenvolver, é obrigação do líder dar o suporte para que ele vá mais longe: orientar, dar feedbacks constantes, implantar uma cultura de aprendizado, criar oportunidades para o desenvolvimento individual e juntos trabalharem para que ele evolua profissionalmente. Manter um canal de comunicação aberto para trocas de experiências é fundamental, já que você pode ser o suporte e tirar dúvidas de quem almeja ir mais longe.

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  The traditional corporate “ladder” has shifted. Employees are no longer looking for just a promotion…they are looking for opportunities to learn new skills, work on exciting projects, and receive internal and external developmental programs that are supported by their company. Micro learning is a great option for helping employees leverage just-in-time training for their development.

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• Sandip Gaikwad | Learning and Development specialist | | Keynote Speaker | | I help busy leaders grow their LinkedIn Organically | | Google Data Analytics |

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  Learning and development can be a great motivators. Employees never work for only money. They want to realise their potential. If organisation help employee to realise their potential through learning, development, coaching and mentoring, employees feel engaged. Toyota has built it's culture based on above principle. In the book, 'Toyota Way ', Toyota president said that we don't hire extraordinary people, rather, we hire ordinary people and make them extraordinary. That's the secret of Toyota's success.

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  Having space and a clearly defined path for development can motivate employees to be more accountable and loyal to the firm. Because they are aware of what needs to be done to reach the next level. Sometimes there is an obstacle when the company is small; in such cases, it is useful to communicate clearly that the roles and opportunities grow alongside the company's growth. Also, ask your employees what they need in order to grow. The skills may not be directly correlated to their job expertise, but are indispensable for excellence. A common case I come into is how many leaders find themselves not knowing how to lead because they were promoted due to technical skills rather than leadership abilities.

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  Set up a growth system in your organization that would encourage your employees to learn new skills and deepen their knowledge. Additionally, foster the growth mindset during team meetings and 1 on 1s.

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• Marcelo de Abreu LinkedIn Top Voice Leadership and Conflict Management - VP at Employer Tudo do RH, driving business growth | CEO National Bank of Employment and Labor Brazil | Business Strategy | Career, Leadership and Innovation

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  Se eu pudesse definir o bom trabalho de um líder, diria que ele alcançou o sucesso quando outra pessoa olha para ele e pensa: “quero seguir os seus passos.” Acho que para conquistar a confiança e respeito de seus liderados, é preciso, acima de tudo, trabalhar com ética e honestidade. É necessário ser um profissional “alcançavél”. Ou seja, precisa estar aberto a conversas, críticas, sugestões, precisa mostrar que você entende o que está fazendo, mas que se não souber de uma resposta, é humilde o suficiente para ir atrás das perguntas. Precisa deixar claro que está em constante evolução e em busca de conhecimento, sempre. Isso o torna humano. Isso conecta pessoas. E não podemos esquecer; para conquistar sua equipe é preciso priorizá-la.

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  One person cannot motivate another. However, leaders can create a healthy organization, an environment and culture in which people can be creative and motivated. Foundational to this is trust. Building a culture of trust that includes caring, sincerity, reliability, and competence (Charles Feltman) is at the base of a healthy organization.A healthy organization based on trust encourages inclusion and psychological safety. The psychological safety enables team members to take risks and be inspired, motivated to show up for the shared goals and organizational success.

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• Guilherme Bonaroti IT Executive | Managing Director (MD) | Program Manager | Chief Operations Officer (COO)

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  Acredito que a base de toda confiança, é podermos expressas nossas idéias e nossas dúvidas em um ambiente que não seremos julgados. Liderar equipes que não tem o costume de "perguntar", é o primeiro "sinal de alerta" que pode indicar a falta de um ambiente de seguranças.Dúvidas e incertezas todos temos. Se não estão chegando até você, é porque os falta confiança.

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• Alan Billman Jesus Follower, Husband, DadDon't Just Buy a House, Buy Happiness: Let's Build Your Story, Brick by Brick.

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  One way to respect others is to respect their skills that may be better than yours. Having a team that masters their skills, as we master our own, makes our team stronger. Empowering others to self improve and trust their wisdom and knowledge fosters trust and collaboration without fear of embarrassment and shame. It causes new leaders to rise up and progress the team forward.

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  Trust and respect form the bedrock of a motivated team. When individuals feel trusted to handle responsibilities and respected for their unique contributions, it creates a positive work environment. This atmosphere of trust encourages open communication, collaboration, and a genuine sense of belonging, all of which are key ingredients for sustained motivation.

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• Antonio Terassovich Head de Carreira FECAP | Top Voice | Consultor e Professor de MBA - FIA-USP e FECAP | Desenvolvimento de Liderança | Transição de Carreira | Mentoria | PCC - ICF |

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  A primeira tarefa da empresa é aprender o que os colaboradores querem e então descobrir se eles estão conseguindo. Isso proporciona o equilíbrio na vida pessoal e profissional segundo pesquisa da McKinsey.O problema acontece no trabalho diário, a discrepância entre executivos e colaboradores é assombrosa. Enquanto 85% dos executivos e alta gerência disseram que estão vivendo o seu propósito no trabalho, mas apenas 15% dos gerentes e colaboradores da linha de frente concordaram. Esse “espaço hierárquico no propósito” alcança também a se sentir realizado no trabalho. Executivos dizem quase 8 vezes mais do que os outros colaboradores que o seu propósito é preenchido no trabalho.

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• Carlos E. Santos Saint Romain ✍🏼 Org. Behavior PhD Candidate at HEC Lausanne Simplifying Complexity 2 Clarity 4 ChangeLeadership DevelopmentProud Dad🫶

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  Honest self-evaluation is needed here! If a company consistently demands employees to work nights and weekends, it signals a systemic issue. It's a managerial and process problem, reflecting a need for better structuring and delegation. This is not solely an individual problem. Remember, if given the chance, such a company might demand even more. It's essential to advocate for a healthier balance between work and personal life. Your employees' well-being matters, and it doesn't have to be overwhelming. Seeking a healthier equilibrium for a more fulfilling professional journey is part of your responsibilities as a leader. Well, of a good leader! Or did you already forget how you were treated in your early days on your way to the top?

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  An unhealthy work-life balance takes a toll on motivation. Recognizing the importance of physical and mental employee well-being is crucial. By promoting breaks, encouraging personal time, and fostering a supportive atmosphere, we contribute to a work environment that values the whole person. When individuals feel cared for, they are more likely to approach their work with renewed energy and motivation.

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  Work-life spillover is increasingly recognised by neuroscience and organisational psychology.Recognising that one's private and professional lives can be strengthened, to augment each other is important. Employees benefit from time outside of work to pursue what feeds them, and their responsibilities. In this case, having clear KPIs for what's expected, so they can use their time wisely is helpful.

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  Most common challenges in motivating employees:- Communication gaps can hinder motivation.- Employee burnout leads to reduced enthusiasm.- Misaligned individual and company goals affect motivation.- Disengagement arises from boredom or lack of recognition.- Sustaining high morale is an ongoing challenge.- Less opportunities.- Unconcious biases.- Lack of diversity.- Lack of innovation.- Employees don't feel valued.- Low Compensation.Solutions begin with empathetic and effective Leadership.

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• Csaba Toth Founder of ICQ Global | Measuring and optimising psychological safety, motivational drive and cognitive diversity | ICF Executive Coach | Author | Keynote Speaker | Forbes | HBR |

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  It is a myth that we can instrincly motivate anyone, people can motivate themselves, although if we know what drives them, what they truly value and need, we can deliver our message in a way that it resonates with them. Extrinsic motivation is easier, more primal and less efficient when it comes to creativity and strategy. The challenge is that people can get used to anything so ultimately they have to be rewarded and punished more and more to get the same result. Motivation is a popular topic, the other side of psychological safety where growth happens so it does make sense to learn about the blueprint of why people think and behave differently.

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• Kristin Baird Culture catalyst helping healthcare leaders achieve high employee engagement, retention, and consistently positive patient experiences. I bring the magnifying glass, mirror and roadmap.

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  There is no "one size fits all" approach to motivating employees. One of the best ways to increase motivation and engagement is by conducting stay interviews. By dedicating time and attention to each team member, you can learn about their personal and professional goals and create a game plan for fostering their growth. Stay interviews are the key to increasing engagement and let you create a personal retention plan.

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• Charlie Perkins Vice Chair at United Way of Olmsted County | Fostering Lasting Community Impact | Passionate advocate | Career Coach | Writer | Servant Leader | Accredited Media Manager | Photographer/Videographer

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  Lack of clear communication can lead to misunderstandings about expectations, goals, or feedback. Ensuring employees understand their roles and how their work contributes to the larger objectives is essential for creating a sense of purpose and direction within the organization. Effective communication prevents confusion and fosters employee engagement and motivation, making it a critical aspect of successful leadership and employee management.

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  In one of my businesses, I overcame the challenges to enhance team’s development is by applying the key steps;- getting rid of toxic people (spreading negativity and hindering others)- revisiting our internal processes & budgets for training - bringing consultants to audit (fresh pair of eyes)- speaking with each team member individually - defining career path for professional development and promotion for each staff member- conducting anonymous feedback survey to gain insights about what is not working correctly- prioritising employee well being- ensuring the work life balance to boost productivity - giving incentives to anyone suggesting innovative idea for improvement - rewarding “Employee of the month”- introducing socials

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