HOW TO DEAL WITH DEMOTIVATED PEOPLE

However hard you try to prevent staff demotivation, you will not always succeed. Ways of dealing with demotivated people depend on the situation. A personality clash between staff members needs different treatment than demotivation caused by stress.

Identifying causes

Demotivation must first be analyzed before you can do anything about it.  It may be caused by stress, emotional problems, or physical illness. Alternatively, there may be something wrong with the job itself, or with the person’s approach to it.  Talk to the demotivated person in order to identify where the problem lies, and tailor the remedy to the cause, for example by arranging secretarial help for someone who is overworked.

Encouraging Teamwork

When two members of your staff seem to be constantly at loggerheads, masterly tact is usually required to replace the element of confrontation with collaboration.  One course of action is to move the couple into a larger team, insisting that they cooperate with and not ignore each other.

Another approach is to have the two people swap roles for a while, so that they can gain an understanding of each other’s workload. If all else fails, separate the two warring parties permanently to avoid disrupting the work of the entire team. 

Counseling Staff Members

To cope with the trauma that follows job loss, counseling has become more commonly available in organizations, allowing workers to discuss their reactions to a difficult situation with an impartial, sympathetic listener. You might consider providing counseling as a service even to those whose jobs are secure.  They may need to discuss workplace or personal problems that are causing them to feel demotivated.  Ideally, a person’s counselor will be somebody from outside the company. If there is no option but to use a counselor who is also a member of staff, they must not have direct or indirect responsibility for the work of the person who is being counseled.  Remember that older or more experienced staff members may prefer to talk with a counselor of comparable age and experience.

TIPS

1. Assess the reasons for demotivation before considering any action.
2. Consider all the options before losing valued team members.

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