Bored businessman leaning on elbow.
Bored businessman leaning on elbow.

Workplace Doctor: How do I deal with team member's low motivation?



QI work in a busy hospitality environment. I have noticed that an individual who reports to me seems to have a low level of motivation. I am concerned this is affecting their performance and, if left unmanaged, will begin to affect the rest of the team and the perceptions of our customers. What is your advice? KL, Sir Baniyas Island

AEmployees with low levels of motivation are not rare – Gallup's State of the Global Workplace report showed that only 16 per cent of employees across the UAE are engaged with their work.

Engagement refers to the emotional attachment we have to our work, which in turn supports high levels of motivation and productivity. So we are faced with a majority of the workforce that are not particularly engaged with their work and less likely to be motivated.  

As the workplace demographics are increasingly made up of millennials – and younger workers are less engaged than older workers in the UAE – managers need to adjust their leadership style to engage with this group. They respond best to coaching orientated towards leadership and knowing that there is purpose in what they do. A previous report from Gallup further suggested that more than two-thirds of an employee's motivation is a direct result of their manager's influence. People perform best when they have clear expectations of what is needed of them, they receive appropriate structure and they get progressive, constructive feedback. As a manager, the important skill of being able to keep employees positive and engaged cannot be underestimated.

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 So how do you keep this individual motivated? There are two approaches to consider. According to Edgar Schein, people are primarily motivated by one of eight career anchors – priorities that define how they see themselves and how they see their work. By being able to determine employees' specific anchors, you are able to adjust your communication style to fit the employees' needs and to drive improved performance by recognising and rewarding accomplishments. In essence, the different anchors are: technical competence; general management; autonomy; security; entrepreneurial creativity; dedication to a cause; pure challenge; and lifestyle. Knowing which anchor motivates this individual will enable you to make him/her feel both valued and motivated. 

Another approach would be that of the work, management and behavioural science writer Daniel Pink, who sees motivation stemming from better performance and personal satisfaction. To achieve this you need three elements: autonomy. mastery and purpose. Being in control of our work inspires motivation, so having some impact on decisions and being given clear goals is important. 

For mastery, we want to be aware of our growth and development opportunities and map a career path for the future. Finally, to have purpose we want to know that we are making a difference. Employees who are aware of and in line with the company's mission are mindful that they can make a direct impact and the company's strategic goals will hold some personal meaning

It is imperative to consider the effect this may have on other employees and on your customers. It is easy to see how one demotivated employee can lower morale and have a negative impact on the rest of the team. Furthermore, employee motivation and engagement are directly linked to a company's customer service levels and satisfaction. Employees with low motivation and morale tend to shift their focus to themselves rather than showing a real interest in customers. It is likely that these individuals will not be concerned with doing anything beyond the minimum expectations. This may result in the employee receiving negative feedback, which in turn may further influence their motivation and future behaviour.

Doctor’s prescription:

Personal time and positive attention from their manager is one of the most rewarding and motivational interactions for employees at work – so to foster this it is important to know the needs and wants of each employee. Provide direction and give praise and recognition where it is due. Set organisational goals and sufficient context that will help to create meaning and purpose as to why this person is coming into work every day.

Yolande Basson is an executive coach and consultant at Ashridge Executive Education – Middle East

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LIVING IN...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Test

Director: S Sashikanth

Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan

Star rating: 2/5

What is Reform?

Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.

It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.

Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.

After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.

Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.

The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.

At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Power: 510hp at 9,000rpm
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
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Price: From Dh801,800
The specs

AT4 Ultimate, as tested

Engine: 6.2-litre V8

Power: 420hp

Torque: 623Nm

Transmission: 10-speed automatic

Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)

On sale: Now

ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand

UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

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THE BIO

Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979

Education: UAE University, Al Ain

Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6

Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma

Favourite book: Science and geology

Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC

Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The 12 Syrian entities delisted by UK 

Ministry of Interior
Ministry of Defence
General Intelligence Directorate
Air Force Intelligence Agency
Political Security Directorate
Syrian National Security Bureau
Military Intelligence Directorate
Army Supply Bureau
General Organisation of Radio and TV
Al Watan newspaper
Cham Press TV
Sama TV

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Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

Brief scoreline:

Tottenham 1

Son 78'

Manchester City 0

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Company name: baraka
Started: July 2020
Founders: Feras Jalbout and Kunal Taneja
Based: Dubai and Bahrain
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $150,000
Current staff: 12
Stage: Pre-seed capital raising of $1 million
Investors: Class 5 Global, FJ Labs, IMO Ventures, The Community Fund, VentureSouq, Fox Ventures, Dr Abdulla Elyas (private investment)

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000