What are your most effective ways to motivate the unmotivated?

2020-11-18T09:39:17-05:00

Is it verbal reprimand, physical exercise, counselings, individual personal connection or just a lost cause? There are many ways and reasons to motivate people. Are motives important when trying to encourage people to change or should they change just because we tell them to? What are your most effective ways to motivate those around you? Especially those that don’t want to/refuse to change?

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 13 at 2014 11:08 PM

2014-04-13T23:08:24-04:00

Reward and recognize excellence within your formation.  There are many tools at your disposal to do this as a leader.  Some suggestions are rewarding with time off, public recognition in formation, writing your Sailors up for awards if they have done something very well, etc.   The other Sailors will notice the ones being recognized and in turn will inspire them to work harder. The other thing to not forget about is being forthright with your subordinates in explaining to them what your mission is and how your mission has it's second, third order effects, etc.  It's sometimes hard for your subordinates to see the bigger picture but we owe it to them as leaders to accurately paint the picture for them.

Response by SSG Robert Burns made Apr 13 at 2014 11:12 PM

2014-04-13T23:12:55-04:00

That's a tough situation. Here's an article that may inspire some thought. http://sourcesofinsight.com/find-your-drive-the-keys-to-motivation/

Find Your Drive – The Keys to Motivation : Sources of Insight

“You don’t overcome challenges by making them smaller but by making yourself bigger.” – John C. Maxwell When it comes to getting results, it takes motivation and ability. Motivation makes things happe...

Response by LTC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 17 at 2015 7:18 PM

2015-10-17T19:18:09-04:00

In any large organization its hard to see that what you do makes a difference. In the Navy it could be drudgery like chipping paint, swabbing the deck, washing dishes which all junior sailors do, or work in their rating, like fixing electronics, pushing paper (or its electronic equivalent) or mechanical maintenance. We all know that a ship would fail to function and conduct its mission without these things. Good leadership emphasizing pride in your ship and your section, teamwork, group and individual recognition, taking care of your Sailors (Soldiers Marines etc), setting the example and delegate whenever possible would help. Of course as explaining how they fit into the big picture would help as part of a ship and Navy that they can take pride in being part of! Also no job is going to be "fun" all the time' parts will be boring, you'll be tired. That where teamwork and buddy support can help minimize the slack-off from those situation.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 18 at 2015 10:45 AM

2015-10-18T10:45:59-04:00

It sounds like you are a crew leader and ended up with a kind of black sheep crew. The things that I have found that work are setting concrete expectations, so let them know exactly what needs done and who is responsible for it so they can take a bit of ownership, it also helps when you have to hold people accountable for mistakes ect. I personally am a huge fan of the words "thank you" and "you did some kick ass work today" I think that helps tremendously too. Especially when junior guys don't think what they do matters. The third component is knowing your guys and taking an interest in what's going on with them personally while still treating them as adults. I think if you can accomplish those you may still have a few problem children but I've seen it turn around a group as a whole.

Response by PO1 Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 18 at 2015 10:47 AM

2015-10-18T10:47:01-04:00

Also if you have any specific problems, feel free to message me, I've been there and maybe we can find a solution more specific to the issue.

Response by SSG Samuel Kermon made Nov 18 at 2020 9:45 AM

2020-11-18T09:45:13-05:00

Finding the right combination of stick and carrot is a task every parent, leader, and teacher must learn.

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 18 at 2020 9:57 AM

2020-11-18T09:57:58-05:00

Motivate by example. Everyone has a bad day, but you can't reflect it and never share the grief with others. It can be contagious and really damage morale. If you set an example that others like, they will follow. Peer pressure is a great tool to bring the laggards aboard with the rest. It's all basic team building. If people prefer to work with you rather than for you, and you reciprocate, you only have to deal with the 10% (time bandits). They might even fall in line, or they fall out.

Response by LTC Eugene Chu made Nov 18 at 2020 10:02 AM

2020-11-18T10:02:05-05:00

Motives are important for change and I would look at finding the root cause before any positive or negative tactics. In some cases, an unmotivated soldier may be dealing with personal issue (i.e. toxic relationship, homesick, etc.). In some cases, an unmotivated soldier may be unsuitable for military service (i.e. mental illness, criminal mindset, etc.).

After learning what the specific reason is for the lack of motivation, a leader can decide whether carrot, stick or chapter packet is appropriate for the unmotivated service member

Response by CWO3 Randy Weston made Nov 18 at 2020 10:19 AM

2020-11-18T10:19:09-05:00

I learned early on that if I tap into what interests them, will also motivate them. Find that way to connect being a soldier to what motivates, they will come around. It also shows that someone cares about them. For a young person set out into this world, knowing someone cares is important to them.
I had a young sailor on my 2nd boat that would not respond to any disciplinary action and was soon to be kicked off the boat. In submarines, if you do not maintain your qualification schedule, and fall way behind, they will remove you from the boat. He was almost there. I took him under my wing and found his interest. It happened to be art. My collateral duty was the Chair of the Recreation Committee and we did a little news letter while on patrol. I had him contribute a drawing to the news letter. He gained a little notoriety and responded by getting hot on his quals. Last I heard, he retired as a Master Chief.

Response by LtCol Robert Quinter made Nov 18 at 2020 10:35 AM

2020-11-18T10:35:59-05:00

All of the above less lost cause and plus NJP and courts martial.
Although an informal talk works the majority of the time, the answer is dependent upon the individual and both their and the units circumstance.
Even the incorrigibles will often respond if you can find the right approach.
During the early 70s, as the adjutant of a 16 squadron group, one of my responsibilities was supervising a group of Marines who were awaiting administrative discharges and whose CO didn't want them in the squadron area. One of them stays in my mind to this day. He had been caught placing fluorescent light bulbs in the engine intake of an aircraft, and when he reported to me lacked in both appearance and motivation. After about a week he came to me and asked if he could take time to go to the barber because he wanted a haircut like mine. He became my "gofor" and one day when our CG was visiting, I sent him to the roof to pop the General's flag upon his arrival. Sure enough, when the General's foot hit the deck, the flag was smartly popped, but my man didn't come back to the office. After about 90 minutes, the General departed and I noted his flag was lowered at the appropriate moment. My man then returned; I complemented him on handling the flag, but then asked him where he had been during the visit. His reply was that we had to get the flagpole fixed because when he raised the flag the pole broke loose and he had been on the roof holding the pole up during the entire visit. A "lost causes" who could still perform.

Response by SFC Stephen King made Nov 18 at 2020 10:37 AM

2020-11-18T10:37:45-05:00

Lead by example

Response by MSgt Steve Sweeney made Nov 18 at 2020 10:38 AM

2020-11-18T10:38:18-05:00

Give them a responsibility, give them ownership and hold them accountable. Both ownership (empowerment) and accountability are key. Even if perceived to be a bullshit responsibility at first, make it clear that if they perform well, bigger responsibilities are possible.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 18 at 2020 10:47 AM

2020-11-18T10:47:44-05:00

Most of your examples are not ways to motivate but ways to get things accomplished. Motivation comes from a desire and drive to accomplish the task. This can be accomplished by providing the WIFM, giving an understanding of the task, or tying it to personal interests, But there are times when because i said so is necessary.

Response by A1C Riley Sanders made Nov 18 at 2020 10:47 AM

2020-11-18T10:47:51-05:00

What are your most effective ways to motivate the unmotivated ?
On the employment front, Offer incentives , on the home front ,give frequent encouragement, be the example.

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 18 at 2020 12:32 PM

2020-11-18T12:32:28-05:00

I hate being the bag guy. I hate getting in peoples faces if they don't want to do something. I don't want to have to get there through extra effort on my part. It just ends up being a lot of wasted time on my end and I still have the less than desired result.

That said, if a soldier puts his head in the Administrative Cross-hairs I will be the fist one to pull the trigger, and I never second guess my NCO's. Don't come to me to be the good cop. I do the NCO a favor not giving second chances. The Army is full of second, third, and fourth chances. I don't need to add to them.

On of my favorite experiences while a commander was one of my last actions in command. I had a solider that was a thorn in my side forever. I reduced him at least once, he constantly didn't show to drill, and knew the game just enough to not get kicked out.

HOWEVER........... he was flagged for APFT failure, and well, his ETS was coming up, and needed my waiver to allow a re-enlistment while flagged for APFT.

NOPE. Not going to get it. He came crawling to me asking for the waiver, and I basically told him straight up this was my way to get him out of the Army. If I literally do NOTHING he's gone in two weeks. All I have to do is NOT sign a waiver, and he magically goes away. Now he still wins, he will get a clean DD214 on the way out as terms of service completed. It will be flagged from enlistment but it's easy enough for a recruiter to waive with the administration of an APFT, but it wont be me that has to deal with it.

But he had two weeks. See where I'm going with this. I told him if he can get into the office the full time staff will administer him an APFT. No one is going to fudge the numbers. My full timers want him gone just as much as myself.

The son of a gun passed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had to remove the flag and without the flag he didn't need my waiver.

He could now re-enlist without my participation.

He finally passed the APFT after four years, and it took a legitimate threat of getting separated from the USAR for him to get that motivation.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Nov 18 at 2020 12:53 PM

2020-11-18T12:53:08-05:00

Unmotivated people cannot connect the dots to see the rewards of good work, diligence, etc., and frequently don't care. The problem is we spend more time than we should on most getting a result. When I was skippering, my policy was to tell the XO and SEL that we're making business decisions, i.e. is the investment worth it? Will improvement to this level make the SM competitive for promotion or are we kicking the can down the road to the same result. Unmotivated people are a albatross around the command's neck and a morale killer. Deal with it as such. My first command, I had 3 SMs gone within two months and by month 6, a few more. It was shock treatment that actually helped some to connect the dots. Funny thing, your reputation leads ahead of you. Prior to my next skipper job, the skipper I was relieving started cleaning house before I showed up. I will admit that I was very much in the minority, but I was heart attack serious about good people not being dragged down. The NCO community was appreciative of my approach. That said, nobody was exempt. I canned an O-5 Ops Boss and an E-8 as well.

Response by GySgt Gary Cordeiro made Nov 18 at 2020 1:25 PM

2020-11-18T13:25:24-05:00

Mass punishment. Well, well. We have a few pukes who feel that they don’t like this game. Then we will play another game. We will go on an unforgettable outdoor adventure.

Response by Wayne Soares made Nov 18 at 2020 3:34 PM

2020-11-18T15:34:09-05:00

Thanks for the share brother Michael

Response by SSG Jimmy Cernich made Nov 18 at 2020 5:06 PM

2020-11-18T17:06:16-05:00

Individual personal connection.Talk to the person about where they are lacking and coach them up on how to improve.Talk to them how earning respect is better than facing consequences that will not help them to further there career.

Response by Maj John Bell made Nov 18 at 2020 5:09 PM

2020-11-18T17:09:18-05:00

Put them in charge.

Response by 1SG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 18 at 2020 5:36 PM

2020-11-18T17:36:29-05:00

I'll be the bad guy here, Bar to Continued Service. Sounds like you have already tried, at some point you need to put the ownership on Joe. If they dont shape up in 180 days, seperate, we dont need trash in the military.

Response by SPC Kenneth Koerperich made Nov 18 at 2020 6:00 PM

2020-11-18T18:00:41-05:00

Motivate? Really, if a "SM/Person" has to be "MOVIVATED" to do the f'n job that they signed on the dotted line for, they don't belong "here" anymore. Tell them what needs to be done, either they do it, or their ass is grass. Groups, same thing, just let them turn it into MASS punishment. Other SM's have a very good habit of fixing the attitude of the shitheads w/o anymore input from you after a MASS punishment. Motivation is a person's own responsibility. We aren't your MOMMY/DADDY, here to coddle you. We are here to TRAIN you to survive/not die. Do you think someone's going to be holding your hand when shit hits the fan?? Nope, issue orders, you follow them, or you die, someone else dies, or you get punished by UCMJ. Again, you signed the dotted line, your ass is expected to perform. Anything short of that, expect to be punished(wall to wall/tree line/slipped on the stairs/others doing it for you), ridiculed by the others, and either you clean your shit up/motivate yourself, or get drummed the "F" out. Wasting time on some POS takes away from REAL SM's who are already Motivated, focus there, that's the value. Yeah Yeah, I'm a hard ass, out here in the real world, you put up, shut up, or get fucking FIRED. No retraining, no hand holding, no coddling bullshit. So WTF is the military any different? All the time you waste on one or two POS's, is taking away from the rest, who actually are doing the job, and will do what's expected and will benefit from your wisdom. This is why the military has gone "SOFT", way to much lip service, kissing ass, and allowing POS's to remain, when they should have been drummed the "F"k out......

JMO....don't shoot the messenger....

Response by 1SG John Highfill made Nov 18 at 2020 7:45 PM

2020-11-18T19:45:56-05:00

Leading from the front then as last resort process out

Response by Cpl Vic Burk made Nov 18 at 2020 8:21 PM

2020-11-18T20:21:45-05:00

This seem akin to what I go through with many of my students every year in my classroom. Many hate math and make no secret about it. I try to find a common ground with them and start by just getting them to do a little work and them complement them and continue to encourage them to continue the behavior. I might cut them some slack at first on their grading scales. It usually work but not every time. Yes, I know high school is different than the military and you shouldn't have to do that but hitting them with reprimands, Article 15 (office hours as we called it in the Marines), etc. probably will not work and only make the situation worse. Some cases especially when there is disrespect toward you there may not be a choice and this is the only route.

Try to find out what their big complaint is and if possible, work from there. A little compassion can go a long way, sometimes. Some cases are hopeless but at least you can say you tried and that puts it all on the guy with the bad attitude.

Response by SPC Kenyana Black made Nov 18 at 2020 9:01 PM

2020-11-18T21:01:21-05:00

I prefer individual connections because I can gain a level of respect and we can both understand each other. I can provide better advice if I knew where the root of the problem stemmed from. I think motives are very important and they also take you back to learning them and gaining respect. If they do not want to change, I have to figure out why and where they need to so I can explain it to them. Then show them the benefits of said change. My most effective way is allowing them to fail. They will reach out to me when they are ready. I let them know that I am always here to help.

Response by PV2 Michael Brown made Nov 18 at 2020 9:45 PM

2020-11-18T21:45:19-05:00

Hello, Sergeant Smith. These days, warriors are not built for motivation. I feel like the best way to get a reaction out of your warriors is to create need for said motivation. This is, unfortunately, the lost cause here, lol. One way that I know that works well, is team building. In my unit, we had a Marine who was a straight badass. He loved doing his 7 step body builder P.T.. He would get us in a circle, and break us into 2 teams, and pin each team against each other. My favorite was the team push up. Whichever team prevails, gets an extra 15 minutes of rest during PT while the losing team had to catch up. But, again, they don't make warriors quite like they used to.

Response by CSM Tom Satterly made Nov 18 at 2020 9:45 PM

2020-11-18T21:45:27-05:00

You cannot motivate people. They must bring their own. You can only inspire them by getting to know them, their beliefs, and what makes them tick. Then you can work together with them.

Response by SPC(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 18 at 2020 11:27 PM

2020-11-18T23:27:35-05:00

You have to find what drives them. What are they passionate about? For some it’s money, others acceptance, occasionally people have an unceasing need to prove others wrong. Some just want to make you proud but don’t know how because they don’t know you. The first step is trust, then respect, followed by a willingness to serve.

I have an employee who started off cocky, entitled, lazy. But he wanted respect because he felt entitled to it.

Ok. If he wanted respect he’d have to earn it with responsibility. I worked him hard. Threw him into a position of limited control and he could sink or swim (although I would never really let him fail.) His options were to step up or step out. He chose to step up. He took every challenge, every responsibility, with stride. I let him struggle but was there to give guidance and counsel. It took 8 months, but this employee that I thought wouldn’t last 3 days is now ready and able to replace me. And THAT is what OUR motivation should be.

Response by SGM Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 19 at 2020 1:17 AM

2020-11-19T01:17:19-05:00

Obviously you have to set the example first before anyone will follow you. If this is already in place, try leading through positivity. This is an extremely powerful tool. Take focus off of the negative things and always highlight what is good. If you are relentless in reinforcing positivity, you will probably see some attitude changes.

Any glimmer of a change in attitude should be met with you demonstrating trust in the Soldier. Give them small projects to accomplish rather than just menial tasks. Tell them that you are counting on them to get the job done, and that you trust that they won’t let you down.

These positive approaches are far more effective than any consequence-based leadership. If people WANT to follow you it is always more productive than if they are FORCED to follow you. But make no mistake, this type of shift requires immense effort. Things aren’t going to change overnight. You have to make this a complete mindset shift, making it WHAT you do rather than SOMETHING you do.

Response by SGT Tiik Taaka made Nov 19 at 2020 5:30 AM

2020-11-19T05:30:21-05:00

If you take your personal time and give it to the person in question, you will begin to see results just as effective as the normal road to correction. I think some people isolate themselves and fear being ridiculed or misunderstood. My personal time is the only time that can go beyond the rank and file system. As a leader, you must never give up on your troop and stray far from the norm, unless the unmotivated has already cornered themselves with a punishable offense. Documenting covers a lot of ground and used properly, it can motivate the unmotivated. Have you ever thought that you might need to up your training and skills to deal with such a circumstance? Motivation is subjective and your reality should coincide with the reality of those you intend to correct.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 19 at 2020 7:25 AM

2020-11-19T07:25:10-05:00

Reprimand/award when warranted. Hold people to a consistent standard. Do what's right by your folks. If it's a transfer or a school, work to make it happen. People work for you if you work for them.

Response by SSgt Chris Randall made Nov 19 at 2020 7:51 AM

2020-11-19T07:51:11-05:00

Gain their trust by demonstrating you genuinely care about them. Do this not only by investing your time and energy in them, but also by genuinely caring how they feel and finding ways to show them, usually by asking questions.

Then you can suggest actions for them to take or even give orders, and they will believe (correctly) that they are in some way for their best interest even though they may be be difficult or painful at the time.

Response by MSG Randall Rankin made Nov 20 at 2020 7:21 AM

2020-11-20T07:21:00-05:00

That is the quintessential leadership question! Please know that one size does NOT fit all and the best you can usually do is keep trying. The more creative you are the more effective you will be (within limits of course). It comes down to knowing your people and what makes them tick.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Nov 22 at 2020 8:27 AM

2020-11-22T08:27:26-05:00

When you first asked this question the first thing I noticed was you asking "verbal reprimand and physical exercise and counseling"
If those are the first 3 things you think of when motivating you are the one who needs to look at yourself. As an NCO you set the pace for your Soldiers. No offense to my officers but they play maybe 1% in that. You need to know your Soldiers first. Not saying don't yell at them or smoke them for when they mess up cause the Army lacks a "woodline counseling" these days. But you need to know your Soldiers.
Instead of looking at you Soldiers being unmotivated you should look at yourself and see what you're doing. I've seen this happen countless times. Good leadership bears results and bad leadership bears no or bad results.

Response by SSG Leonard Cartwright made Nov 24 at 2020 9:08 PM

2020-11-24T21:08:25-05:00

The best way to motivate is thu you.
They will look at everything you do ,how you handle stress how you dress and so on .As an NCO you have joined and elite core of people........in other words welcome to the party SARGENT !!!!

Response by CPO Clifford Henry made Nov 15 at 2021 11:50 AM

2021-11-15T11:50:30-05:00

Lead by example, and know your people. Thomas Jefferson said, “There’s nothing more unequal than the equal treatment of unequal people.” Not everyone is the same and therefore can’t be managed the same. However, there are those who unfortunately are just lazy and don’t care. When you have exhausted efforts to find what works for them, show them the door.