Humans are all subject to the occasional bad day at work. Even if you absolutely love what you do, it’s natural to sometimes feel uninspired and demotivated at your job. There doesn’t have to be a specific reason for it, either; sometimes, you just wake up in the morning wishing you could stay in bed all day.
Unfortunately, this can be an issue if you happen to be in a leadership position or a role where you are expected to rally others around you. To make matters worse, this negative energy can rub off on your people and directly affect their effectiveness and productivity.
Truly, keeping other people’s spirits up can be a monumental challenge when you’re having an off day. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to keep things moving even when you aren’t feeling so good. Here’s how to inspire and motivate others even on days when you feel like you’re struggling:
1. Know That You Have the Power to Generate Yourself
When you’re feeling out of sorts but still need to get something done, you may tend to fake it just to get through the day. However, even if there is some power in trying to manifest certain outcomes through sheer force of will, your efforts may not come off as authentic to those around you.
And when your employees sense that something is amiss, they instantly become less likely to follow your directions However, you can create a fundamental shift in yourself simply by doing things with intent. Instead of forcing it, what you want to do is focus on the outcome that you want and work your way towards it.
You can get better at this by enrolling in project administration courses that will allow you to learn vital leadership and communication skills. With an experienced executive coach and intensive online training, you’ll improve your proficiency in active listening, obtaining crucial information, and cultivating “buy-in” amongst your team, even when you’re not performing at your best.
2. Keep Up Your Routine
Having a set work routine helps you better organise your time, keeps you focused, and contributes to a healthy work-life balance. Indeed, the structure of a daily routine ensures that you’ll keep things moving, which can be especially beneficial whenever you don’t feel up to doing very much.
Many workers also claim that simply keeping to a strict daily routine can be exceptionally calming. Doing so enables them to feel more in control of their day, greatly lowering their stress levels. This is good news if your lack of motivation is a result of feeling too stressed or perhaps burned-out at your job.
So, go ahead and just keep doing the things that you normally do even if you wake up with little to no energy. If your morning work routine consists of having a cup of coffee while reading your emails on Microsoft Outlook, do it.
At the very least, following your usual routine will help prevent your team members from noticing that something isn’t quite right. You’ll also be able to prevent any potential blowback from having your low mood affect theirs.
3. Delegate Your Motivation
If you really can’t find the energy to energise others, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with passing the baton to someone else, at least for a little while.
Sometimes it’s impossible to pull yourself out of a bad or tired mood, and that’s okay. If you aren’t up to the task, you might want to delegate it to someone else on your team. Find someone willing to do the job, give them everything they might need to perform it, and then take a step back to get yourself sorted.
Of course, this isn’t something that you should do too often. However, it can save the day in a pinch. It’s a convenient way to make sure that what needs to be done still gets done, even without your direct participation.
4. Don’t Let How You Feel Dictate How You Behave
Put simply; it is much easier to behave your way into a paradigm shift than it is to merely think your way into a behavioural shift. Many leadership qualities, such as being an empathetic listener, analysing situations quickly, making quick decisions, and more, can all be done without letting your feelings get in the way.
All you have to do is continue to act according to your values. You can rest assured that others will, in turn, continue to follow you.
There’s no such thing as an infallible leader. At times, you may feel uninspired or find yourself falling short in your performance. Keep in mind, though, that you will be defined by how well you handle your deficiencies.
However, if your lack of motivation becomes a more permanent state of mind, you may need to seek help from a professional coach. Again, it’s also okay to have down days. Everyone does. The important thing is to commit to doing better once you’ve recovered.
Start Your Journey Toward Self-Improvement
Everyone experiences off days at work, but for those in leadership positions, it’s crucial to find ways to stay motivated and inspire others even during these times. By focusing on intentional actions, maintaining a consistent routine, delegating responsibilities when necessary, and not letting emotions dictate behaviour, leaders can effectively manage their teams and maintain productivity. Remember, no leader is infallible, and seeking professional help when needed is important.
Become more motivated and confident by enrolling yourself to one of our leadership courses today, or contact us for more information.