Ask Christa! Forget about inspiration-- learn how to MOTIVATE!!!

Hi everyone, and welcome to Ask Christa! the place where you can ask questions about how to work through business challenges and workplace issues. 

I'm Christa Dhimo and today's question is, how can I inspire my team when sometimes I just don't have the energy? 

And that's a great question because we have all been there. And the truth is, we can't inspire people when we don't have the energy. During those times, we're usually the ones who need to be inspired, and it's important that we all get smart about what we as humans can deliver on demand versus what we may need to put aside. Like feeling that we need to inspire others when we don't have the energy. 

Now let's talk a little bit about inspiration. Its origins define it as divine guidance. And for that reason, it infers that we generate inspiration from within based on some level of belief and excitement over something we otherwise and probably can't see. It's an energy that we can feel on the inside, and then it comes outward in the form of action, usually high energy, intense action. But is that what people need at work? To be inspired on demand? What happens when you don't have the energy to inspire others? 

 So here's where some of the myths of management come in, that you're somehow better if you are inspirational when really learning how to motivate others when they need it will produce the same or similar results with half the energy. You may be known as an inspirational leader or manager, but there will indeed be days when you just don't have the energy. 

 And my answer isn't going to be about how you can change that and suddenly become inspirational when you don't have that energy. Inspiration is about energy. And constant inspiration simply isn't sustainable. So reframe your thinking away from being inspiring and toward being motivating. You can learn a lot of techniques about motivation and you don't have to be inspirational to be effective at it. So lighten the load you're carrying and shift your expectations to be more realistic. 

I realize a lot of people want to feel like they're being an inspirational leader and there are books and posters and Instagram accounts about that, but no one can be that way all the time on demand. So aim to be a motivating leader, not even a motivational leader, be a motivating leader. Learn how to motivate others. Learn how to learn about motivating others, how to find out what motivates them whether they're motivated by feeling achievement or sometimes they're motivated by being in a good team, or sometimes they're motivated by recognition and rewards or all of the above. Learn also about creating motivating environments and team climates. 

 There's a lot you can do as a leader and as a manager that naturally motivates the good humans around you to do their best work every day. And sure, yes, I know. that sounds soft and touchy-feely, but you know something? Those soft skills, they're actually the hardest ones, and they lead to greater success and higher organizational performance, and that's supported by empirical evidence. 

 So learn about motivation in the workplace, and after that, take it up a notch. Learn what it takes to deepen your employee's motivation and get into that employee engagement zone. 

 It's one thing to motivate your team and it's entirely another to motivate them toward that level of engagement, fueling what we call discretionary effort, which is typically the work that employees do beyond the scope of their job. And they do it by choice, using their discretion. 

 Now, for organizations that expect their employees to do the extras on a regular basis, particularly when there are no motivating aspects associated with those extras. Beware. That usually has the opposite effect of what you're looking for when it comes to performance and especially the collective organizational performance. Your employees won't feel motivated to give their extra if they feel exploited or taken advantage of. So refocus your job toward the mechanics of motivation and away from the energy of inspiration. 

 If you find that others say how you inspire them, then thank them and remind them that you gladly give them that when the moment is right. But that there are also days when like everybody else, you feel depleted or you're searching for inspiration and during those days, you appreciate those around you who you can draw inspiration from. And that could be how well the team works under pressure or how proud you are when the team takes care of each other or... how they work together during challenging times, or what it feels like when you know the team is giving all they have to give to make a project better for a client. 

 Now, for your resources, I'm providing three interesting quick reads. The first is called Work Motivation, the Roles of Individual Needs and Social Conditions, and that comes out of behavioral sciences.  It is a readable article, but a scholarly article. So in the show notes, I'm going to put some reader notes in there too. My recommendation is to review section one, which is the introduction and then section 2.1, which is called work motivation, a conceptual background. And that will lay out some of the context for you. Then go to section five, the discussion and then section seven, the conclusion.

 I know it sounds very prescriptive, but all in it's probably about three minutes in terms of read if that. And most of the resources I provide to are very short and they're meant to provide a lot of information in a little amount of time. And by the way, quick hint for later in the season, not everything I provide to you is reading. You're going to get other media as well. 

Gallup. Gallup is the other resource you should be aware of, the company Gallup. Gallup has been studying the factors of individual and organizational performance for over 25 years, inclusive of  effective leadership, management best practices, and employee engagement tactics, and it will up your game. One of the articles I'm providing is about organizational performance overall, and that's to ground you on foundational aspects of motivation and performance, but also to introduce you to some of these topics if you're looking to improve your strategies in those areas as well. The other article examines higher level motivation in the workplace and that's where employee engagement comes in. So enjoy that one also. 

 Overall, keep asking questions. I'm here to support you and I'm eager to engage with you. We have a wonderful community across a few different platforms and my hope is we can join everyone together here as a result of this podcast. So please subscribe, follow, send in your questions in the comments or the podcast website. 

 AskChrista.com. That's Christa with a CH. And while you're there, join our mailing list to receive weekly newsletter that offers additional quick tips and resources. I appreciate everyone's support. And if you have a question about business challenges and workplace issues, Ask Christa!

Resources and References:

Vo, T. T. D., Tuliao, K. V., & Chen, C. (2022). Work motivation: the roles of individual needs and social conditions. Behavioral Sciences, 12(2), 49. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs12020049 

Reader notes: I recommend the full read, but for the most focused sections to learn more from this episode: review Section 1: Introduction; Section 2.1: Work Motivation: A Conceptual Background; Section 5: Discussion; Section 7: Conclusions.

Gallup, Inc. (2021, June 28). Organizational Performance | Gallup topic. https://www.gallup.com/topic/organizational-performance.aspx

Gallup, Inc. (2025, April 18). How to improve employee engagement in the workplace - Gallup. Gallup.com. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/285674/improve-employee-engagement-workplace.aspx