Motivate a problem employee

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Motivating a problem employee takes time and energy. Handle it correctly, and you make it all worthwhile.

Hank has been one of your direct reports in the production department for two years. Though his work is generally solid, he often seems to lack a real drive to excel. He also tends to bring a pessimistic attitude to new projects. You worry that this attitude could negatively affect other employees. You want to motivate Hank.

Which of the following steps would you not take?

Look into other opportunities in the company for Hank

Correct choice. It's too early to conclude that Hank must be moved elsewhere in the company. Your first step to motivating Hank should be learning more about Hank's interests.

Ask other team members what projects they've seen Hank get excited about in the past

Not the best choice. This would actually be a good first step in addressing Hank's lack of motivation. If Hank's fellow team members have seen him get excited about certain projects in the past, then his current lack of motivation might have to do with the types of projects you're assigning him.

Review Hank's résumé to see his previous experiences and interests

Not the best choice. This would actually be a good first step to addressing Hank's lack of motivation. By reviewing Hank's previous jobs, education, and outside-of-work interests, you might learn where his passions lie. You could then discern what's blocking these passions in his job.

You review Hank's résumé. Nothing in it indicates to you that he would be dissatisfied in his current job.

Next, you try talking to his fellow team members. Some of them have worked with Hank for more than two years—including the time before you became head of the department.

Several of these employees say that Hank used to be a very positive, energetic, and exceptional performer. Then, at some point, he just seemed to lose interest in projects.

Given this information, which of the following reasons can you rule out as an explanation for Hank's loss of motivation?

Personal problems

Not the best choice. Hank's résumé and your talks with his colleagues yielded no information about any personal problems. Thus you cannot rule this out as a possible explanation for Hank's lack of motivation.

Conflicts with your management style

Not the best choice. Apparently, Hank's behavior began to change at about the time you began managing the production department. Thus you cannot rule out conflicts with your management style as a possible explanation for Hank's current lack of motivation.

Lack of needed skills

Correct choice. From your own experience, you know that Hank is generally a solid worker. And according to other team members, he had performed even better in the past.

You meet with Hank to discuss his apparent lack of enthusiasm. After some prying, it becomes clear to you that Hank has some difficulties with your managerial style.

You have had great success with encouraging your direct reports to solve problems and develop plans to meet department goals on their own. Hank prefers the style of your predecessor, who gave staff members far more incentives and recognition for working collectively on problems and projects.

What should you do next to continue addressing Hank's motivation problem?

Offer to sponsor a group project in the short term while coaching Hank to take more initiative in setting up group projects on his own in the long term.

Correct choice. By tailoring your management style in the short run to meet Hank's desire for more collaborative work, you show Hank that you value and respect him. And by coaching him to take more initiative in organizing collaborative work in the future, you stay true to your preferred—and effective—management style.

Agree to move to a more "team-oriented" style of management.

Not the best choice. Changing your management style to satisfy one employee may not be the wisest move, especially since you have generated excellent results with your other employees using this style.

Explain the benefits of your management style to Hank and ask him to make more of an effort to adjust to that style.

Not the best choice. Asking Hank to adapt to a more independent work environment without helping him acquire the skills to organize group projects on his own will likely only further alienate Hank.

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