The Wellness Perspective – Employees Who Seem Entitled and Ungrateful

As leaders, it’s disheartening when employees seem disengaged or indifferent, especially when it feels like they are simply showing up for the paycheck.

It can be tough to watch when employees don’t seem motivated to go above and beyond for the team or company, despite the opportunities they have.

Some of the things you might have observed are:

🔴 Employees coming in late or leaving early with little to no accountability.

🔴 A lack of enthusiasm for the work they’re doing.

🔴 An “entitled” attitude where employees expect everything without giving their best effort.

While these behaviours can be triggering, they often stem from deeper reasons.

What’s Really Going On?

On the surface, it might seem like it’s a “generational gap” or personality problem, that your team is simply unmotivated or even immature, or lacking the professionalism you expect. But it's important to dig a bit deeper and uncover the root causes.

Here’s what might be happening behind the scenes:

🌿 Issue 1: Lack of Connection to Purpose

When employees aren’t aligned with the company’s vision or values, or if they don’t know their own core values, it’s easy for them to feel disengaged or like they’re just going through the motions. They can’t feel that their work truly matters.

🌿 Issue 2: Burnout and Stress

Overwork, chronic stress, and lack of self-care can manifest as ungratefulness or disengagement. When employees are on autopilot, they often don’t realise the impact of their fatigue and burnout on their attitudes toward work.

🌿 Issue 3: Negative Mindsets and Limited Beliefs

A mindset rooted in scarcity, imposter syndrome, or even unresolved personal trauma can impact a person’s ability to show gratitude or take ownership of their work. They are constantly stuck in a “not good enough”, or “not enough” mindset (toward everything and everyone, not just you).

These deeper issues often trigger the surface behaviours we see in the workplace: disengagement, frustration, and poor work quality.

How coaching helps

Coaching provides the clarity and support to help employees move past these roadblocks, addressing the root causes.

By providing tools and strategies to shift mindset and rebuild self-awareness, coaching can help employees:

• View challenges as opportunities for growth.
• Gain a better sense of purpose and alignment with company values.
• Develop healthy habits that support their wellbeing and productivity.

Here’s how we do it:

🎯 Reframe negative beliefs by challenging limiting thoughts and offering empowering perspectives.

🎯 Build resilience to stress by developing resourcefulness and healthy, sustainable habits and routines.

🎯 Strengthen connections by realigning employees with the bigger purpose and vision of the company.

Why This Matters

When employees feel connected to the organisation’s purpose and equipped with the tools to manage their stress and mindset, they become more motivated, productive, and engaged. This drives a culture of improvement and strengthens the overall performance of the team.

What Can You Do?

As a starting point, organisations can:

Implement wellness programs that focus on mindset shifts, stress management, and purpose alignment. Offer coaching sessions to help employees address their underlying beliefs and values, unlocking their full potential. Create opportunities for self-reflection and habit formation, empowering employees to take ownership of their wellbeing and professional growth.

Do you recognise this challenge in your workplace?

Have you noticed employees who are disengaged or seem to lack gratitude for the opportunities provided to them? These behaviours might be signalling a deeper issue that, when addressed, can bring lasting transformation.

Coaching can bridge the gap between the surface problem and its root cause, unlocking solutions that create lasting change.

Let us know how we can support you and your team with our education and coaching solutions!

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🌿Sophie Anderson

Founder, Cairns Coaching | Coaching for Thriving Workplaces

www.cairnscoaching.au

Developing teams and individuals through:

🟣Health & Wellbeing Programs

🟣Workshops and Presentations

🟣Individual Coaching

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