Where is the Love? What to do When You’ve Lost Passion For Work

As it’s Valentine’s Day – let’s talk about love in the workplace. And, no – not cultivating a workplace romance!

Instead, in this article we will explore the ‘whys’ and ‘what can you do’ as a leader when a member or members of your team have fallen out of love with their work. Or indeed, perhaps it will prompt a moment of self-reflection towards your own enthusiasm and passion levels for what you do.

Having a genuine passion for what we do is what often sets great leaders apart. That drive, love and commitment is fundamental to achieving success, personal fulfilment and business growth. But, as many of us will have experienced at some point in our careers – whether we’ve observed it in ourselves or others – it is not uncommon to experience periods of disengagement from the jobs we once loved. And when that enthusiasm begins to wane, it can have a serious impact on you, your business and your teams.

Let’s explore some strategies to help to rekindle that professional enthusiasm with the help of some effective leadership tools, emotional intelligence and behavioural awareness.

Understanding ‘Why’.

As the author and motivational speaker Simon Sinek would say: let’s ‘start with why?’

Before looking to reignite that passion, you need to first understand why the fire has gone out – to truly understand the underlying factors which are causing your disconnection.

Daniel Pink, in his book, “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” suggests that this disengagement is often down to the lack (or absence) of one or more of these three key drivers:

• Autonomy
• Mastery
• Purpose

Take a moment to reflect on them.

As an employee, has your line manager created the conditions for you to shine, make decisions and develop new skills whilst enabling you to genuinely feel connected to your company’s mission?

As an employer or founder, have you lost that initial spark and excitement that you felt when you first set up or joined the company: that feeling that what you do will really make a difference to your customers, staff and community?

Disengagement is contagious

Falling out of love with what we do and why we do it can have a devastating effect, not just on our own performance, but the performance of our teams too.

When enthusiasm is high, it fosters a culture of motivation, collaboration, and high performance. Conversely, disengagement and negativity can be contagious, quickly diminishing team spirit, generating toxic cultures and mistrust.

We are all prone to having a day (or even a month!) when we dislike what we do, but it doesn’t necessarily mean we’ve fallen out of love with our jobs or what our businesses bring to the world. This is an area where we need to be especially self-reflective and self-aware as a leader, to understand what’s changed and how you can reconnect with your purpose, your people and the impact your business. Often, taking time out with a mentor or a professional coach who can help you to diagnose the heart of the problem is a valuable investment that can help you to get back on track.

Aligning personal values with organisational vision

One of the primary reasons professionals lose passion for their work is that they believe there is a disconnect between their personal values and the organisation’s culture and mission.

Leaders play a pivotal role in creating an environment where employees get a sense of belonging, that the company’s ethics and values are aligned with their own and that decisions are made not only in the pursuit of profit. By fostering honest conversations about career aspirations, personal fulfilment and business goals, leaders can bridge the gap between individual motivation and corporate objectives.

My challenge to leaders reading this article is: Think about your workplace culture – is it a place where your employees understand your company’s ‘why?’ and their role in delivering the mission – is it somewhere they believe they can develop, achieve, and grow together?

Feeling stagnant

It does not take too long for an employee who does not feel like they are learning, developing and growing to stagnate.

This is where learning and development plays such a significant role: whether its leadership training, exposure to new responsibilities, or skill enhancement workshops, organisations should encourage individuals to seek opportunities to develop.  Typically, members of your team want to be stretched and challenged, promoting growth both professionally and personally.

Finding the fun

I’m a firm believer that there has got to be fun at work. If there’s no room for fun in something we’re doing for 40-hours a week then there is something wrong.

Yes – professionalism and productivity are key to business success. But creating a sense of fun at work is just as important and the business benefits are many:

• More creativity
• Better team collaboration
• Greater employee engagement
• Improved employee retention
• Higher job satisfaction

Research shared by Harvard Business Review (‘Why Work Should be Fun’) tells us that happy workers are more productive workers: they take fewer sick days, stay longer in your business and become great advocates for what you do.

Have a think about your workplace and what could be done to bring a bit more fun factor: – and by that I don’t mean the odd karting event or buying your team a pizza lunch when you’ve had a big success. Recognising the personalities in your team is critical: what would be a great experience for your extroverted employees could be an introvert’s idea of hell! Whilst it’s impossible to please all, considering options like team or leadership development days; celebrating birthdays; holding a litter pick or an innovation day to break the routine and introduce new ideas into the business can all help to ignite energy and bring fun into your business.

Love is all you need

Never a wiser word.

And when it’s gone from the workplace it’s not good for anyone.

So, whether it’s performing some diagnostics to understand ‘why’, working with an executive coach to help you to find your mojo again, addressing your company culture, or bringing some fun into your business – if you’re feeling a lack of passion at work, it’s time to take action.

To find out more about any of the items raised in this article, email lily@morganjamesconsulting.co.uk