That One Team Member You Just Can’t Shift
Ever had that one person in your team you just cannot motivate, or inspire?
You’ve tried everything: coaching chats, clear goals, KPIs, training, mentoring, carrots, sticks, even your best “wise mentor” voice. And still… nothing. They nod, smile, agree, then Monday hits and it’s Groundhog Day.
Before you blame yourself: you’re not a terrible leader, you’re just leading humans.
Our brains are wired for safety, not growth. For some people, “safe” means doing the bare minimum, dodging responsibility, or clinging to “this is how we’ve always done it”.
I love the quote: “Change is hard at first, messy in the middle and gorgeous at the end.”
Here’s the twist: often it’s not a motivation problem and hidden competing commitments that are unconscious and keep us safe. A simple way of explaining is deep down, they may be more committed to not looking stupid, not rocking the boat, or not risking failure or judgement just to name a few.
This week a client stepped off the flywheel. He slowed down, had a deeper conversation, and his team member finally shared what was happening at home. Afterwards he said, “I’m bloody ecstatic they can even make it to work and give what they can. I need to make it easier on them not harder.”
Sometimes the breakthrough isn’t always a pep talk; it’s connection, curiosity and a bit more humanity.
Life’s good.
Clint
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