#motivation

I don't understand this ever-increasing corporate need to make us all miserable. Being invested would surely make us more creative and productive. But nah. Instead, make us hate our jobs, our managers, and the company. I absolutely don't care about team dynamics or outcomes. I don't care if I have this job tomorrow. So I have no skin in the game. And I'm dedicated accordingly.

Over the last few months work has become exhausting in a way I truly didn’t expect. I keep getting called into discussions with no warning about what they’re for, and by the time I sit down I already feel behind because everyone else seems prepared except me.

A few comments from coworkers have stuck with me too. Being told people find me difficult has made me second guess every interaction, even though I’m trying to stay professional and focused on my work. The worst part is being blamed for mistakes that I can clearly show weren’t mine. Constantly defending yourself takes a toll after a while.

There are tons of people who want to see you fail. It makes them feel good about inactivity on their part and when you succeed, jealously sets in. Most posters here will apply their situation as a blanket across the regions and make the bold insistent claims that its impossible to find a job outside, well, not so much. Among all the noise here and all the hecklers, one buddy of mine is leaving at 30% more and another at 50% more. Yes, that’s right a whole 50% more.

Their secret, head down, research, search, apply, move on to another job board and don’t give up. 6+ months later, they are moving on. Don’t listen to the clowns on this board who’ll try to verbally beat you down and manipulate you into not even trying.

I would love to leave, but there are no good jobs out there and even the bad ones are hard to find. Every single company seems to be running on skeleton crews and layoffs seem to be around every corner. So I stay here, even though my motivation is completely gone and my stress is through the roof.

Anyone else take issue with the ‘motivational’ video shown at the last town hall?

Our CEO really woke up today and said, “You know what will inspire the team? Mike Tyson vs. Buster Douglas.”
So now all of us watched a heavyweight upset from 1990 like it’s a mandatory corporate TED Talk.
Nothing says “Q2 synergy” like a grainy VHS quality uppercut.

To be fair, the message was supposed to be about resilience, grit, and “getting back up when you’re knocked down.” But here’s the thing: Mike Tyson isn’t just a boxing legend — he’s also a man who was convicted of se-----y as--ulting a woman. That part matters. It’s not a footnote. It’s part of the real story, and it deserves acknowledgment, especially in a workplace where safety and respect for women aren’t optional values.
So yes, the Buster Douglas upset is iconic. Yes, the metaphor could have worked. But maybe — just maybe — there are motivational examples that don’t require HR to brace for impact.
In the meantime, if next week’s “inspirational clip” is from Tiger King, I’m calling out sick.

Layoffs are 100% confirmed: Anyone at this site who spends every day waiting for a meeting about being let go, anyone who no longer wants to work at Cisco, anyone who only complains about management despite the company reaching record-high stock prices, or anyone who has simply lost motivation is free to leave Cisco.

Please do not waste company resources or other people’s time. If you are ready to move on, do so now.

There are thousands of talented people with fire in their eyes who have been struggling for a long time to find an opportunity. Give them your place, and go in peace.

I finally started a new role last month. It took me six months of applying and interviewing to get here. The market is brutal right now. Just wanted to say not to give up if you're looking to leave, as tempting and as discouraging as it may seem at times.

I have zero motivation Since the announcement to return to office. I did very little between then and now and it will be the same all next week. Anyone else?

While you are busy Mickey Mousing, cutting and laying off people every month without solving big problem. There is a marauder on the horizon. And I am afraid they are here is to conquer you.
And I am talking about Chinese Shoe Makers. Yes, those people that were making your contract Nikes are now have grown up.
I was at GuangZhou about 30 days ago and I had to admit that I was impressed of Anta and Li Ning. And the energy and motivation that I felt from them was same one that I got from Nike during 90s.
Just like Nike of yesterday years, NO was not an answer. Arrogance, entitlement, overconfidence was not with them yet.
And they are ready to expand. They conquered China and Asia. Now they are eyeing towards America.

Get your A game out!!

Or one IT design from Anta and it will leave Nike in the dust.

No paths to advance. No real rewards for performing well.
Constantly waiting to get laid off isn’t exactly motivating.

I struggle just to get myself in the door every day. It's only about the paycheck now, and even that can be gone next round.

I just have copilot recycle my PDS write up from the prior year. It doesn’t matter what you put down. The assessment meeting outcome is already determined and won’t change based on what you write.

You're not doing yourself any favors for doing more at this place.

It is impossible to care about work that has an end date in the immediate future. The motivation to your best, to train others or to spend time considering better ways to perform has been destroyed.

How is everyone with an end date handling this? Wrong answers only.

I know that would personally make me feel much better about my Phase 2 colleagues being excused from RTO, while the rest of us are required to be in the office doing the same exact job. Maybe some motivational posters? The kitten dangling from a tree branch that says “hang in there”?

I can't think of a single thing. Take away the paycheck and the fear of being laid off, and there's nothing left. Why invest effort in a job that could vanish tomorrow, no matter how hard you work? Promotions are a thing of the past. No rewards for anything. Just constant threats hanging over your head.

Is a reduction of workforce at Nike a bad thing? Revenue growth will come from productivity growth. More efficient teams. Motivated teams. AI. A reduction is not a bad if done right. And, to what I can see, 90% of the time, the right choices are being made.

I concern is not the Layoffs but the manner in which they were done. The percentage was not uniform across teams. Some teams had only 15% while some teams ( Not On-Prem)) had close to 45%. No one knows how people were selected. We have seen some good performers being shown the door. Many new hires shown the door. Entire team let go. This is just madness. People had quit stable well paying jobs and joined Oracle and they were let go before they had the opportunity to prove their worth. It’s not that the Big O is in losses that they had to resort to such cuts. There would be no motivation left among the existing employees to perform well when they see such things happen.

Tom Petty's Won't Back Down came across the radio today. If you need a small pick up for your weekend, take a listen. Anyone else listening to music that provides some inspiration? Binge suggestions? For many, it's a long weekend. If you can take a mental break from all of this do it.

Maybe then they wouldn't need to spend so much energy controlling us. Old concept, I know. But today's corporations seem to have forgotten it completely.

Nothing ki-ls motivation faster than knowing your every move is being scrutinized. I'm spending more time documenting what I'm doing than actually doing it. I've noticed that many folks have started checking boxes instead of solving problems which ensures few things actually get done. What's with the sudden pivot to micromanaging? Or is this my area only?

Ynon goes hard on Mondays. Good luck to all

Inspirational stuff from the 2026 Proxy Statement. Bill’s total compensation jumped from $22M to over $29M (32%) this year. Meanwhile, in the cubicles, we’re out here debating if our 1.5% merit raise covers the gas for the new 5-day RTO mandate. Truly a masterclass in 'Leading the Way.' Thanks for the motivation, Bill!

https://pex.broadridge.com/getdocument.asp?doc=4CC6BB74616CC807E06317289D0A6255&type=edgar#3547022_1074842_1074924

We have people here that any competitor would love to have, and we do nothing to keep them. Junior staff get demotivated and check out. Experienced veterans with institutional knowledge get shown the door. What's the endgame here? Feels like nobody's looking past the next Q earnings call.

This is not a post about AI. I barely do any feature work anymore. I feel like with everything happening in the US and the global situation, I just have zero motivation to work or produce work for these companies. Just waiting to see how long I can keep this going, wondering how many are on the same boat.

With everything going on it's hard to take anything seriously anymore. And knowing that my company is trying everything they can to replace me with either AI or someone offshore doesn't make me interested in helping them fulfill their profit goals.

At the same time, I don't want to lose my job in this economy either. But how do you stay motivated like this?

It turns people who once cared about their work into people who just watch the clock

Expecting nothing better than to be replaced is a great motivating force. Being made to train your replacement adds a special flair to feeling fantastic about losing your job.

Store managers, District Leaders, and Regional Directors, please remember this:

When a dedicated, loyal, hardworking employee gets the same "3" rating (and same cr-ppy raise) as a slacker employee who skates by doing bare minimum nothing, all motivation for hard work is lost when said dedicated employee realizes that hard work is no longer rewarded. STOP lumping everyone together as average and start viewing everyone individually. Every team has those people who go above and beyond and do more than others. They deserve to be rated 4 or 5, not cut down to 3 because everything needs to "balance out". Fight for your people, because that's what a good leader does.

Downvote for no.
Upvote for yes.

I know I’m going down the conspiracy rabbit hole here, but just for conversation what if Oracle started the rumors of the layoffs? Oracle knows they must get employees motivated again, and it’s against their nature to do so with rewards, but creating fear is right up their alley. The thought being that employees will put up with a lot more if they’re afraid they’re getting laid off. Suddenly, their performance may matter so they work harder. It seems a little far-fetched, but an interesting theory of ponder.

Got my compensation letter today. I didn't expect anything great, but a 2% increase is disappointing; it doesn't even cover inflation. And the bonus has dropped so much from previous years, it gives you no motivation to go out of your way and 'exceed expectations' anymore. It seems like it doesn't really matter, since you're at the company's mercy and whatever they decide to give your department.

Definitely looking for a new job, outside the business. In the meantime, just doing my job exactly as specified, no more, no less. Not going out of my way anymore, thats for sure...

A colleague of mine was fired yesterday. 6 months to retirement, but they fired him paying a severance package.
How does this make sense?

He was let go by a new manager appointed recently (6 promotions in 5 years - yeah, its possible) who doesn’t even know what my colleague does and how complex&important is his work.
No replacement, no time for handover.

And we got motivational speeches from a new manager.
I can’t believe its happenning, feels like being inside of ‘The Office’ sitcom, only its not funny.

I am anticipating my time to relocate (not sure where) might come anytime. My product has a lifecycle of a few years, but many of team members have relocated and many experienced leaders retired due to age and RTO. My motivation to work is low and minimal human interaction is gutting me.

Should I relocate and hope to switch projects? My spouse is under stressful situations at work too with tons of work and wants to quit if I relocate or become stable somewhere.

I am unable to find work outside T due to various factors (skill gap, unfair RTO demands)

If I relocate,,we will take a major financial hit. What to do? Leap of faith of faith RTO or should I quit?

Sending good vibes to those affected this week. Some of you had long careers at Juniper and did exceptional work in areas of consolidation. Others of you were also great contributors who just happened to be aligned with people no longer in power now that it's HPE.

And yet, we know that loyalty is rewarded with a layoff sooner or later. I saw some truly great people let go, and I have zero motivation left. What’s the point?

With the ongoing game of moving the goal posts every year to deny nearly everyone who earned an exceeds rating from ever getting one, in the spirit of the Olympics, I say “Go for the Bronze “ in 2026 - there is simply no incentive to do more and if they really want to RIF you, that will likely happen regardless of your performance. In the end you will at least have prioritized your life balance and not fallen for yet another false promise.

Best exec team to turn us into next Sun Microsystems

Serious question. How are fellow employees staying motivated after low to zero expected rewards?