Most workplaces are months into altered work environments because of the coronavirus. It stands to reason that motivation could be flagging, struggles could be multiplying, and general morale may be low. 

It is up to leaders to help motivate their teams through this extended crisis. 

“A large part of a leader’s responsibility is to provide structure, guidance, and regulation; yet many workplace studies point to the fact that the most important gauge for a healthy work environment isn’t a strong external framework, but whether individuals can foster internal motivation,” Anne M. Brafford and Richard M. Ryan say in Harvard Business Review. 

Brafford and Ryan say they have identified three psychological needs that leaders can meet to help their employees with motivation, struggles, and morale.  

Relatedness 

The members of your team need to feel like they belong, and that you care for them.  

“Make time to listen to your employees’ perspectives and make them know that they are heard and valued,” Brafford and Ryan recommend. 

That means acknowledging and validating their feelings, receiving feedback from them, emphasizing the work they do, and communicating regularly.  

Competence 

When a person feels like the work they do is effective and contributes to their own personal growth, their performance improves.  

“Research shows that holding employees accountable for achievable goals can improve performance, and motivational science also suggests that trust begets trust,” Brafford and Ryan explain. 

Some ways to achieve this feeling of competence include involving your team in decision-making and setting up regular check-ins to monitor progress. 

Autonomy 

“Effective leaders foster internal motivation by empowering employees’ sense that they are the authors of their actions and have the power to make choices that are aligned with their own values, goals, and interests, as well as their team’s,” Brafford and Ryan say. 

Encouraging autonomy means being transparent behind your asks, motivating through encouragement, and promoting self-initiation.