Why a team becomes demotivated and how coaching can help get them back
When teams are tired, demotivated or a bit stagnant, coaching provides people with the opportunity to change how they feel about a situation and what they are working towards.
Rather than simply sitting in frustration, resentment and apathy, they can be challenged to take control and think about what they need to do.
In the current economic climate, there are many factors at play for why people and teams might be feeling tired, a little flat and perhaps risk averse. There are only so many things that an employer can do to change that, but one thing they can do is engage their teams and find out what needs to happen to change that sentiment.
The rise and risks of the disengaged team
Current UK employee engagement rates sit at only 10%,1 while 71% of UK recruiters have seen an increase in "job hugging" over the past year. 2
That means demotivated workers aren’t moving on to new roles. They are staying put and that causes a problem for everyone.
For the individual, they continue to work in a role they no longer want, becoming increasingly despondent and not keeping themselves primed for a new role. For agencies, Sarah Leembruggen at The Works Search explained it perfectly in PR Week recently - it can be “damaging,” with “no new ideas coming in” and “teams going through the motions, carrying too much, generating too little.”
Why you should try to reengage rather than wait it out
If someone appears to have ‘checked out’ and is no longer invested in being in their role, it can be tempting for employers to switch off too. I’ve heard “if they don’t want to be here, we don’t want them here” before. They can be deprioritised and the employer stops investing in them.
But, dropping employee engagement rates cost the world economy an estimated $10 trillion in lost productivity1.
So, if a team or the work is feeling stagnant, agencies shouldn’t just wait it out. If the market means fresh energy isn't coming through the door, it has to come from the people already there.
Why does someone seem demotivated?
If a person or team is suddenly underperforming or have lost their edge, it’s unlikely that they simply don’t care about their work anymore or that they have become lazy. If they just seem to be doing the minimum, it’s likely a result of demotivation.
There are multiple reasons why someone might become demotivated: it’s rarely a singular thing or, perhaps, person. There usually isn’t a quick fix that one pep talk or drink after work can solve.
Usually, it’s deeper than that and it needs active and transformative effort to empower the person to break their demotivation and become motivated again.
Causes of demotivation
Basic Psychological Needs Theory (BPNT) states that people need three things for personal growth:
Autonomy – to feel like we have control over our own actions
Competence – to feel that we are capable and effective, developing and growing
Relatedness – to feel connected and valued, with a sense of belonging in our environment
When one or more of these elements fails, we tend to feel disconnected and demotivated. And by logic, the opposite is true – when someone has all these things, they will be motivated.
This stands in the workplace, amongst a team and agency.
If there is someone in the team who doesn’t seem engaged, consider:
Autonomy – Is the person being micromanaged? Do they feel powerless and like a small cog in a big wheel? Do they feel like they are just doing what they are told, by a senior or the client?
Competence – Does the person receive feedback and praise? Are they given responsibility and trust? Are they learning and developing new skills? Is their opinion heard?
Relatedness – Do they feel seen and heard? Are they an equal member of a team? Is there a collaborative culture? Are they clear on their role within the agency and have an opportunity to contribute?
That’s a fraction of the considerations and you’d only be guessing. Only the person in question can tell you what they are lacking and how they can get it back.
How coaching can disrupt demotivation
Coaching isn’t the fix for any of these challenges or missing elements alone, but it is the looking glass through which a person can identify what they need to change and how. In fact, that in and of itself does give someone autonomy over how they think about the situation, which is an empowering first step.
Through coaching, a demotivated worker can understand how they feel about their role, what they are getting from it and most importantly, what they are not. What is most important to them right now and what does that mean to them in their current circumstance? What do they want or need right now to feel better in this situation? How are they going to achieve that?
They know what they are capable of and what is possible within their environment. They are in control of what happens next.
The responsibility and accountability are theirs to turn their demotivation into motivation as only they know what will make it happen for them. It is on them to tell their employer what they need – be it support, opportunities, considerations etc. – so it can be worked on together.
Working together to create a motivated team at the top of their game
The best, motivated teams are the ones that operate in sync with their agencies; the best agencies are the ones that provide their teams with a sense of autonomy, competence and relatedness.
Clarity and communication are key. Agencies are many things, but they are not mind readers. They can’t fix what they don’t know. Coaching helps people identify, articulate and action what they need to become motivated once again.
Footnotes
1 Gallup's State of the Global Workplace 2026
2 LinkedIn, 2025-2026