How to re-engage a demotivated team

In an organisation, silence is rarely golden. It is often a sign of disengagement.

Missed deadlines, a lack of energy in meetings, and a transactional approach to tasks are all symptoms of a team that has lost its collective drive. While tempting to deploy quick solutions like bonuses or team-building events, leaders are discovering that these are only temporary fixes. Because resetting a demotivated team requires a fundamental shift from short-term incentives to rebuilding the psychological foundations of work itself.

The first step in any reset is an accurate diagnosis. While burnout remains a significant factor, recent data from Gallup shows that employee engagement levels have plateaued and, in some sectors, declined. The study suggests that employees are not just tired; they are disconnected. They lack a clear line of sight between their daily tasks and the organisation's purpose, a condition intensified by the distributed nature of hybrid work.

Decades of research, including recent analyses, confirm that human beings are motivated when they have a sense of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. When these pillars crumble, so does a team's spirit. A successful reset, therefore, is a strategic effort to rebuild them.

Restoring a sense of autonomy

Autonomy is the need to feel in control of one's actions and decisions. Micromanagement is its contrary. In an environment of demotivation, leaders often instinctively tighten their grip, which only deepens the problem.

Recent research from Stanford University underscores the power of autonomy in hybrid work models. A 2023 study found that teams given control over how and when they completed their work, within a framework of clear expectations, reported 22% higher productivity and a 35% lower attrition rate than their more rigidly managed counterparts.

Changing this requires a tangible shift in leadership behaviour. It begins when leaders pivot from prescribing processes to defining outcomes, clearly articulating the 'what' and the 'why' of a task while empowering their team to determine the 'how'.  To fully restore a sense of ownership and agency, leaders must actively involve the team in crucial decision-making processes, such as project planning, resource allocation, and the establishment of team norms.

Cultivating a culture of competence

Competence is the need to feel effective and experience a sense of accomplishment. A demotivated team often feels stuck, either overwhelmed by unachievable goals or bored by unchallenging work. They have lost the feeling of progress.

Harvard Business School’s research on "The Progress Principle" remains critically important. It demonstrates that the single most powerful motivator is making progress in meaningful work. Small wins, when recognised, create a virtuous cycle of success and engagement.

Leaders should first deconstruct large, overwhelming goals into achievable milestones, creating opportunities for frequent, tangible successes that systematically rebuild the team's confidence. This focus on capability is reinforced by prioritising skill development - investing in training moves beyond a simple perk to send a direct message that the organisation is committed to their growth, a critical factor given that a 2024 LinkedIn Learning report identified a lack of learning opportunities as the top reason employees change jobs.

This environment of growth is solidified by reframing feedback, shifting away from purely critical evaluation towards coaching-oriented conversations focused on development. By celebrating effort and learning, leaders can create the psychologically safe environment necessary for the team to tackle future challenges with renewed focus.

Forging authentic relatedness

Relatedness is the need to feel connected to others and belong to a community. This has been the pillar most damaged by the shift to distributed work. Virtual happy hours and forced fun are ineffective because they fail to build what truly matters: psychological safety.

A 2023 study published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that psychological safety was the single greatest predictor of team innovation and resilience in remote and hybrid settings.

The road to recovery begins with reconnecting the team to a shared purpose. Leaders must constantly translate the organisation's abstract mission into the team's daily reality, explicitly showing how individual contributions impact colleagues, customers, and the overarching company vision.

This sense of shared purpose is then strengthened by engineering intentional interactions. Instead of relying on unstructured social events, leaders should cultivate structured opportunities for meaningful connection, such as collaborative problem-solving sessions, peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, and "show-and-tell" demos.

The critical foundation for all of this is the leader's willingness to model vulnerability. When they openly admit mistakes, ask for help, and actively listen, they create the conditions for others to do the same, transforming a collection of individuals into a cohesive unit.

A demotivated team is not a lost cause. It is a signal that the existing architecture of their work is no longer sound. At Acumen, we’re dedicated to equipping leaders with the practical tools to tackle real-life challenges. Our comprehensive range of training and development programs, including customised interventions and off-the-shelf courses, helps organisations foster a culture of respect and empower their employees. To learn more about our programmes and how they can benefit your organisation, please contact Simon at simon@askacumen.com.