Do you sense there’s apathy, a lack of commitment or inaction in your team?

Maybe it feels like you’re doing all the work when it comes to taking action on the strategy, creating ideas for improvement or even engaging at all. You feel a bit ‘jolly hockey sticks” while they’re quiet, checked out or nodding but not doing anything different. Frustrating and exhausting, yes?

If this is you as a leader, here are some ideas that may help…

1. Consider the context.
   What’s the context now and what’s been going on in the recent past? Has there been loads of change? Is it a new team or a team that’s gone through lots of restructuring? Are they change weary? What are the collective emotions that might be at play? Fear, anxiety, and change fatigue are common emotions when a team has experienced contexts like these. 
   
   Understanding the context (especially from their point of view) is useful to help you work out the base emotions in the collective team and therefore what might be useful (and less useful) approaches from a leadership perspective. Understanding and then meeting them where they are now is a first step.

2. Go further and use metaphor. 
   See this post on how to use metaphor in your leadership. If this context or situation was a metaphor, what springs to mind? Using metaphors and stories can unlock new approaches for you and for them. 
   
   For example, if the current context is about weathering a storm and they are huddled together on the mountain, not wanting to move forward and you’re their ‘sherpa’, what would you do? What might they need from you, especially if you want them to follow you down the mountain in rough weather? 

3. Start with trust. 
   Focus first on building trust (with you and within the team) and communicating clarity around the purpose of the team - the ‘why’ and the ‘who’ of the team, if you like.  You need to do this first before the team can turn their attention to ‘what’ they’re supposed to be doing and ‘how’.

   What is the purpose of this team and does everyone know that? What would success look like if we were succeeding in this current context? How does each of them connect personally to the team ‘why’? Have you provided enough clarity around what their role is and how it connects to the team’s purpose? These should be questions you ask them and work out together rather than just telling them. Coaching and listening are your friends as you do this.

4. Encourage participation. 
   Involve your team as opposed to feeling like you have to tell them or have it all worked out. Ask them for their ideas on how you all could achieve the way forward (with guardrails). If they come up with unrealistic ideas, don’t knock them back first off, but ask some coaching questions – “what might be some risks with these ideas?” is just one example. Prepare them by asking them to think about some things and come prepared with their thoughts and ideas. Be ok with silence at first and don’t jump in immediately to fill the silence. Usually someone will speak up just to stop the awkwardness of no one speaking!
   
   Involving them in the potential solutions and ways forward is more likely to build engagement. Maybe identify a few natural leaders within the team and ask them to help with team meeting facilitation or aspects of leading the charge.

Carrying a team of passive passengers is tiring. And, while we can’t ultimately stop apathy in anyone else, we can still do our bit – as leaders – to encourage or nudge our team members past it. Ultimately, you’re aiming for engagement and connection as the antidote. What other ideas have worked for you when you’ve faced this situation? Share below to help those who are facing this now.