Are your employees lazy? Or do they just feel like they don't belong?

Lately, I've been inundated with articles, posts, and conversations that talk about the laziness of Gen Z. People bemoan the fact that if they're not given specific tasks to do and offered significant hand-holding during those tasks, that they fail to perform.

As I reflected on these comments, I found myself thinking about motivation (for all generations).

What do "Swifties" camping out overnight in line for Taylor Swift merchandise, Habitat for Humanity volunteers doing hours of manual labor, and me helping out JetBlue customers while I was on vacation have in common?

We're all motivated by the opportunity to belong to something bigger than ourselves.?

Swifties say they love it because of "how easy it is to make friends in the community."

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Habitat volunteers comment about the opportunity to "grow bonds with people you would've never otherwise connected with."

And if you asked me why I worked at JetBlue for over a decade, I wouldn't pause before I answered "being surrounded by smart people committed to serving others."

What if the challenge of getting our team to take more ownership isn't a motivation problem, but instead a belonging problem?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not arguing that work should be our only source of belonging.?Or that employers should try to create belonging above all else, even to the point of denying employees fair pay and benefits because employees should be "team-players."

But belonging IS an incredibly powerful force to drive behavior.

A strong sense of belonging can transform your focus from "me" to "we."?That's probably why I still feel guilty if I hear that someone had a negative JetBlue experience even though I haven't worked there in 6 years.

According to Geoffrey L. Cohen, belonging happens when you feel accepted, respected, inspired and like you have something to contribute.

So, if you're struggling to motivate your team, especially in an environment where you are only connecting through screens, here's a good place to start: