By Mike Pearson
We’ve all been there. One moment, you feel on top of everything. Next, a new process rolls in, your team restructures, or leadership drops a surprise strategy like a surprise detour when you’re already running late. Change, whether we like it or not, shows up a lot. And while some people ride out change with a calm confidence, the rest of us are quietly recalibrating – mid-meeting, mid-deadline, mid-mild panic.
The question then becomes: how do we stay motivated when everything around us is shifting?
Let’s take a look…
The Human Side of Change
First off, it’s worth acknowledging that change is rarely just operational. It’s emotional. According to McKinsey, 70% of change efforts fail, and a key reason is people. Not because they’re resistant or lazy, but simply because they’re human.
Harvard Business Review notes that uncertainty can reduce motivation by triggering a threat response in the brain. Basically, change can feel like danger. And when we’re in “danger mode,” we’re not exactly primed to produce our best work, let alone feel inspired about it.
And here’s where it gets interesting: change doesn’t have to drain our motivation. It can actually be one of the biggest drivers of it, IF we know how to respond.
The Three Psychological Levers That Keep Us Going
Psychologists Deci and Ryan talk about three core psychological needs that underpin motivation: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Okay, so let’s break those down into the context of change:
1. Autonomy: In times of uncertainty, people often feel like they’ve lost, or are losing, control. Giving people even small choices or a sense of ownership over how they adapt can reignite motivation. For example, letting a team decide how to implement a change rather than dictating it.
2. Competence: Nothing destroys motivation like that feeling of being out of your depth. And change can often make us feel that way. Deloitte’s 2023 Human Capital Trends report found that only 23% of workers feel confident in their ability to adapt to future disruptions. That’s a lot of people bracing for impact without feeling ready. One of the keys here is building psychological flexibility, the ability to adapt our thinking, reframe challenges, and stay grounded when the goalposts move. Giving people small wins or low-pressure chances to learn helps rebuild confidence and reminds them they can flex with change, not just brace against it.
3. Relatedness: When everything’s shifting, connection is the glue we need to keep it all together. Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace 2025 report shows global engagement dropped to just 21%, down from 23% in 2023, costing an eye-watering $438 billion in lost productivity, and it’s often the managers who feel that disconnect most keenly.
So those quick check-ins, shared sighs, and quiet “is it just me?” moments… they matter. And probably more than the process itself.
So what can we actually do about it?
If you’re a leader (or just a human who works with other humans), here are some practical ways to keep your motivation going during change:
1. Name the Uncertainty
We all know that pretending everything’s fine doesn’t help anyone. Acknowledging that things are hard and that it’s okay to feel off balance creates psychological safety. It helps people move from “what’s happening to me?” to “okay, so this is happening, now what?”
2. Create Tiny Certainties
You might not be able to promise what next quarter looks like, but you can create consistency in the day-to-day. After all, humans are creatures of habit; we love consistency. Regular check-ins, clear goals (even if they’re just short-term), and even the simplest of things like keeping meeting times stable can help reduce mental load.
3. Celebrate Those Micro-Wins
Don’t wait for that big success story. Celebrate the team member who figured out a smarter way to use the new system, or the one who kept morale up when things got messy. Recognition (at all levels) builds momentum.
4. Ask, Don’t Assume
It’s only natural that we’re motivated by different things. Some of us want stability, others want challenge. During change, take a moment to ask others: “What would help you feel more motivated right now?” The answers might just surprise you.
5. Lead with Humanness, Not Heroics
People don’t need leaders to have all the answers; they need them to be real – vulnerability, curiosity, and honesty go a long way in keeping people connected and committed.
What’s Getting in the Way?
Let’s be honest, one of the biggest blockers to motivation in change is cognitive overload. We’re asking people to adapt, learn, deliver, collaborate, plan, and oh yeah… stay inspired, all while dealing with the 74 Slack messages. That’s why it’s crucial to reduce the noise.
When everything’s shifting, connection is essential. Those quick check-ins, shared sighs, and genuinely human moments? They’re the anchor points that help teams stay focused, confident, and resilient when chaos hits.
The Opportunity in the Mess
Yes, change is normally a bit messy, but it’s also where growth and innovation live. People don’t want perfection; they want purpose, clarity, and a sense of movement.
And maybe, just maybe, we make the change feel a little less like chaos… and a little more like progress.
One Last Thing to Sit With
If motivation’s low right now, don’t take it as failure. Think of it as feedback. Feedback that people need support, clarity, and yep… A little more humanness in how we lead change. So next time change comes knocking, remember: don’t manage change – humanise it!