Dear Elpis,
I often struggle with employees who are not as productive as I would like. How do I motivate them to work harder?
Dear reader,
As a manager or team lead, this is an ongoing challenge. Unfortunately, the root cause can be one of many. Assuming you’ve already provided support for any temporary setbacks like illness, here are two ways to begin addressing the issue, along with two commonly overlooked scenarios from my experience.
Start by observing your employee in different situations to gain insight into what truly motivates them. Did you notice a spark in them while working on a particular project or discussing a certain topic? If so, that could be a key to understanding what drives them and the kinds of tasks or projects they’re best suited for. While it may not always be possible to switch projects, an open and honest conversation with the employee can go a long way. If they see that you truly understand them, they may be more inclined to trust your leadership and reciprocate with improved performance.
Next, consider whether aspects of your team’s culture could be impacting productivity. Does the employee perform better when collaborating with certain people or when a project is managed in a specific way? If so, can you make adjustments to the situation, or can you coach the employee on how to better navigate the current team dynamics?
From my experience, there are two subtle scenarios that newer managers often overlook.
The first is when a manager assumes employees understand the mission and project details as clearly as they do. People are often hesitant to admit they don’t understand something, and remote or hybrid work can exacerbate this issue by removing key non-verbal cues. To address this, you need to prioritize communication—both 1:1 and team-wide—ensuring everyone is on the same page.
The second scenario is when managers try to motivate employees with extrinsic rewards. However, humans generally perform better when their motivation is intrinsic—that is, when they believe the task or idea was their own. A great way to foster this is by involving employees in the decision-making process. Instead of presenting a decision, lay out the facts and ask them what they think should be done next.
These are just a few tools from a manager’s playbook, and I hope one resonates with your current situation. If you’d like a more tailored response, feel free to share a specific scenario, and I’ll be happy to provide a more focused solution.
Hope this helps,
Elpis
Dear Elpis is a fully anonymous career advice column specially designed for Silicon Valley professionals. You can submit your questions at dearelpis.com/submit. Any questions and dilemmas related to career are welcome—including, but not limited to—promotion readiness, disagreements with colleagues, team management, organization development, changes in workplace, office politics, job seeker dilemma, IC vs manager career paths, scaling the team.
