Staying motivated & how to cultivate more of it with your team.

Are you finding it hard to stay motivated? Are you noticing your team’s efforts wanning? Many of my clients have candidly shared how difficult it’s been to stay motivated throughout this pandemic, and they’re eager to learn how best to motivate themselves and their teams. 

Motivation is a hot topic in leadership in the best of times, 12 months into a global pandemic and it’s become critically important. 

Let’s start by normalizing what’s happening with some brain science. 

You may have heard of the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC). It’s the part of your brain that sits right behind your forehead and is responsible for executive functioning. It plays a big role in working memory, focus, planning, analysis, empathy, critical thinking, emotional regulation – in other words much of what allows you to do what you do at work. 

(Sidebar: If you’re interested in learning more about it’s function and the impact of stress on your brain check out this video – the music is a bit annoying, but it’s 5 minutes and offers a great overview https://youtu.be/TsQUeNuvIDY )

Dr. Amy Arnsten is a Professor of Neuroscience and a Professor of Psychology at Yale University, whose work has focused largely on the brain’s response to stress. She calls the PFC the goldilocks of the brain because it requires arousal chemical levels to be just right for optimal performance. 

If you have too little, or too much of these stress chemicals in your brain, the performance of your PFC is negatively impacted.

You may start feeling distracted, forgetful, unable to plan and make sound decisions. You may experience lack of empathy, inability to engage and all-or-nothing thinking. 

Don’t blame yourself. This is a natural brain response to stress. In other words, it’s not your fault, it’s the evolutionary result of your brains wiring. (Try that explanation on your boss!)

According to ScienceNews and Elizabeth Phelps, a psychologist and neuroscientist at Harvard University, “Even relatively mild stress can impair the prefrontal cortex”. 

When we consider the unpredictable, uncontrollable and invisible nature of COVID-19, it’s not hard to comprehend how it’s increased our stress levels, reduced motivation and impaired productivity. 

So, what can we do about it? Here are 5 tips to motivate yourself and your team:

1.     Develop a routine

Our brain works on a predictive cycle. The more it can correctly predict what will happen, the less stress it feels and the greater our ability to access the enhanced functions of our PFC.

So, add some predictability into your workday. Come up with a simple routine that allows you and your team to bring some structure into the day while still allowing for the flexibility people need to juggle work, kids and life. 

Example: A client of mine introduced a midday Walk and Talk Call with his team. Each day they connect for a quick check-in while they go for a walk. If they are unable to go outdoors, they walk indoors. The idea is a simple, predictable ritual that has them move their body and connect. 

2.     Focus on top priorities

Define top priorities for your team and encourage team members to structure their day according to these priorities. Encourage employees to start their day by laying out on paper their appointments (both personal and professional) and their top priorities, without over committing. Research shows that employees want to contribute and be engaged in their work during a crisis, and that keeping them focused on a few high priority items allows them to contribute without getting overwhelmed.

Example: A client has a weekly Prune and Purge Meeting where the team reviews the top 3 priorities for the week, the “not now” list and actively look for items that can be pruned or purged. This has helped the team increase results by coordinating and focusing their collective efforts on a few high return items.

3.     Make room for your favourite things

Make sure that you are scheduling time for your favourite things. Take a walk outdoors, listen to your favourite comedian, plan a dance party and play music you love in between calls. The idea here is that you intentionally incorporate activities that bring joy and relieve stress throughout the day.

Example: A client introduced a team @Slack channel to share things that bring them joy and make them smile. It’s called the Fun Joy Project. 

4.     Replenish and reenergize:

According to Psychology Today, “hammering away at your brain to continue on a task can not only be exhausting, but it can often be completely counterproductive.” Instead, when you notice that you are unable to focus and engage in a particular activity, step away and ask yourself “What am I motivated to do right now?” Don’t waste valuable time attempting to do something that’s not working or worse yet beat yourself up because of it. Change gears for a few minutes and come back to it. You may be surprised how much can shift when you allow yourself the grace to walk away and reengage in something else.

Example: One of the skills I work with my clients to develop is awareness to the energy in the room. This proves a bit more difficult online, and even more important to consciously attune and respond to. One of my clients, after noticing that his team lost steam about 20 minutes into Zoom meetings, started to implement periodic stretch breaks. He also starts his meeting with a few deep breaths and a clear agreement of what they will accomplish and the energy they each want to bring to the meeting. 

5.     Personal check-ins

While group check-ins are valuable during times of crisis, these do not replace a leader personally checking-in on a team member. Take the time to check in on your direct reports – this will go a long way towards an employee’s motivation and engagement. We must remember that we need a strong social network that we can lean on during this challenging time.

“A strong social support network can be critical to help you through the stress of tough times, whether you've had a bad day at work or a year filled with loss or chronic illness.” Mayo Clinic

Example: Several of the leaders I coach have very large teams, nonetheless they’ve worked to reach out to each direct report to let them know that they appreciate their efforts and care about their wellbeing. This takes time and it’s why people appreciate it all the more. 

In the end, here’s the message I’d like to leave you with, be kind to yourself. We’ve collectively been processing grief, managing stress and juggling competing demands. Extend yourself the compassion and grace you would a good friend.

As neuroscientist Elizabeth Phelps shares, “Forgive yourself. If you’re finding it challenging right now to focus, forgive yourself.”

Best,

Lisa

Lisa is an Executive Coach, Founder & CEO of LDR Leadership Labs. For more from Lisa, join the LDR Leadership Community on at: www.linkedin.com/company/ldrleadershiplabs and sign up for the LDR Insiders Newsletter here.