A member of my team has lost interest in her job. She was previously very engaged and full of ideas, but recently I have noticed a shift. She is just going through the motions like many other underperformers and appears completely disenchanted. How do I get her back on board? HG, Abu Dhabi
Something quite serious must have taken place for a team member of this nature to experience such a significant shift in their motivation. To go from extremely engaged to flat, demotivated and disenchanted cannot simply happen by chance. Something must have tipped the balance.
High performers do not simply change overnight; her hunger and energy must have been extinguished somehow or by someone in particular. There could be a number of potential reasons – it could be because of a difficult relationship or heightened stress and increased workload. It may also be that she does not feel there are any more developmental opportunities left in her role.
The best way that you as a leader can be of assistance to this top performer is to identify the obstacles that might be preventing her from doing a job that was done so well in the past. Once you understand the reasons you can begin to consider appropriate solutions and bring her back to where she should be.
I recently coached an excellent individual who was identified as part of a company’s global future leaders pool. Almost immediately after moving into this pool of “star employees”, her commitment to the business dramatically dropped. It was surprising for everyone, as it is one of the most prestigious awards anyone can receive.
It was only through our coaching conversations I learnt that colleagues were showing increased resistance towards her because of jealousy over her newfound “high potential” status, and she was feeling both frustrated and sidelined. We put a plan in place on how to re-engage her colleagues. Implementing this plan revived her confidence in her future with the company.
One of the most common reasons for a change in behaviour is workload. It is your role as a leader to find the right amount of pressure that stimulates her to perform but does not push her over the edge. Although most top people like to be stretched and challenged, their willingness and enthusiasm can involve them being asked to work far beyond their current capabilities. Your team member could just be feeling burnt out and tired of taking on responsibility for other people. Sometimes a desire to achieve can make someone an easy target for slackers, and realising you have been taken advantage of can simply knock the wind out of you.
On the flip side, she may even feel bored or underutilised, as not stretching high performers can also cause them to stagnate or “rust out”. They need to be stimulated, and this lack of stimulation may be a cause of her disengagement. Balancing challenge with support is what leaders must do to get the best from their team members.
Other external issues such as lack of tools, resources and accountability could also be mitigating factors that have dragged her morale down. If these keep occurring, this individual may feel she has no other choice than to disengage and go through the motions like a mechanical robot. Do what you can to identify those factors without disrupting her work further.
Once you understand the reasons for the change in behaviour and you have gathered enough information, then you need to prepare for an open and honest conversation with her. Show your willingness to bring her back on board and your genuine intention to support her success in this role and in other roles in your organisation. High performers respond well to positive regard and developmental feedback, as they naturally want to learn and are both curious and interested. Show you are interested and are prepared to do what is necessary to help her get her groove back.
Doctor’s prescription:
Going from star team member to “jobsworth” is not something that happens without good reason. Yet it shouldn’t take much to restore things back to their natural state. Understand the situation before acting, as it is likely that it was misunderstanding or miscommunication that caused the situation in the first place.
Alex Davda is a business psychologist and client director at Ashridge Executive Education, Hult International Business School, and is based in the Middle East. Email him at business@thenational.ae for advice on any work issues
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