We were waiting for the election and it was pretty clear there was going to be a change of government. The day-to-day was tough – there was a still a job to do for current Ministers, but they knew their days were numbered. Soon new political leaders would be at the helm. If manifestos and campaign speeches were anything to go by, our area would no longer be a priority. In a few short months we would probably start the systemic deconstruction of everything that we had been building for more than a decade. How do you motivate your team through that?
This is not just a peculiarity of leadership in government. Many of my clients are navigating challenging times of change in their organisations and wondering how best to lead their people through the uncertainty. The drivers might be different – financial pressures, shifting market conditions, new strategic directions, ownership changes or rapid growth – but the question is the same: how can I keep people motivated, including myself?
It can be particularly difficult to do this if you feel like you’re not in a position to ‘fix’ the situation that your people are concerned, anxious or frustrated about. Back then, there was no action I could take to change the circumstances. But even in less extreme cases than a change of government, there are rarely simple solutions that fall neatly within your gift to deliver.
So here are a few things to think about as you seek to motivate your team:
🤩What’s the point? We all know that having a sense of purpose matters in our working lives. It feels like there’s more discussion of this than ever before, perhaps because the pandemic and the climate crisis (among others) are making us examine our impact in the world. So, how are you talking to your people about the purpose and impact of the work you do? How do you describe, capture and see the value that you create together? If it feels distant or intangible, how do you bring it to life and make connections with those you serve?
🤓Make it a little bit harder. It sounds contradictory, but introducing stretch into people’s roles can be a great way to motivate them. We like to be good at things, but we also like to learn and there’s an amazing sweet-spot to be found just beyond our current capability, where we’re challenged and driven without feeling defeated. Daniel Pink talks about Mastery alongside Purpose (see above) and Autonomy (see below) as key to motivation. In their fascinating book, An Everyone Culture, Kegan and Lahey describe how organisations thrive because the growth and development of every individual is treated as an end in itself: so as soon as someone gets good at their job they get moved on to something new.
🎮Give control. In situations of uncertainty and change, we crave control and grieve its absence more than ever. Talk with your team about what is, and isn’t, within your individual and collective control. Be as honest as you can about what you can influence and what you need to let go. Find ways to give control in other, small ways – perhaps with autonomy over a particular project or way of working. Some of this might take a bit of work on yourself too: what can you delegate? What risks will you take?
😶Listen. It can be hard to be on the receiving end of your team’s angst and not feel the urge to act and address the problem. And sometimes that’s exactly what your job is – to bring the feedback and insight from your people to bear on the strategic choices being made by the organisation. But listening to fix can mean you miss things or jump to conclusions and action driven by your own views or biases. This may even make things worse. So try to listen solely to understand: be curious, play back what you’ve heard, acknowledge the emotions and maybe ask what they need from you before jumping in with solutions and suggestions.
I’m fascinated by the research showing that the things that drive job satisfaction (e.g. stretch and recognition) are not simply the opposites of the things that make people unhappy at work (e.g. unfair pay). It’s a stark reminder that ‘fixing’ the problems that people bring to you won’t necessarily be the route to keeping them engaged and motivated.
As for the team back then, we worked together to re-commit to our values of impartiality and public service while also allowing space to listen to how we felt about the changes to come. We couldn’t change the reality. But we could decide what response we would be proud of.
How do you motivate your team through tough times?
