5 minute read
Summary: Employee engagement has been on the decline in recent years. For managers ready to reverse the trend, the CAMPS Method™ offers a practical, science-backed approach. By meeting five core psychological needs – Certainty, Autonomy, Meaning, Progress, and Social inclusion – leaders can re-engage their teams and spark lasting motivation. In this blog, you’ll learn how to gauge engagement in your workplace and use CAMPS to build a more energized, committed, and connected workforce.
Employee engagement in the U.S. hit a 10-year low in 2024, with only 31% of employees feeling engaged at work. Many report feeling unclear on expectations, unsupported by their managers, and disconnected from growth opportunities.
This widespread disengagement is driven by a mix of rapid organizational change, clunky hybrid and remote work transitions, shifting expectations, and outdated performance management practices. But whatever the cause, the impact is clear: Gallup reports companies with higher engagement have higher productivity (14%) and profitability (23%), while those with lower engagement have higher absenteeism (78%) and turnover (51%).
So, how can you motivate a disengaged team and combat workplace complacency? At LifeLabs Learning, we teach managers and leaders to start by understanding what the brain needs to stay engaged.
In this blog, we’ll introduce you to the CAMPS Method™ – a simple, science-backed framework that helps you meet five universal brain cravings that drive motivation and performance: Certainty, Autonomy, Meaning, Progress, and Social inclusion (including belonging and connection). Psychologists Richard Ryan and Edward Deci spearheaded research that reveals satisfying these core needs is the key to unlocking employee engagement.
Read on to discover how small behaviors can satisfy big needs – and transform disengagement into enthusiasm.
How to motivate a disengaged team
Don‘t worry; we’re not going to overwhelm you with the science of employee engagement (although we really like science!). Instead, we bring you a simple framework to help you remember the five brain cravings – the CAMPS Method™.
Certainty
Autonomy
Meaning
Progress
Social inclusion
We share the CAMPS Method™ with participants in our Effective 1-1s and Leading Change management training workshops. It’s a great tool to help you sort your team into two camps – engaged and disengaged. It directs what actions to take to get everyone into the camp where they feel genuinely engaged and motivated.
Before you try it, let’s take a quick look at how each brain craving fuels employee engagement:
Certainty
Our brains crave certainty. In fact, studies show uncertainty triggers stress and hinders curiosity and connection. So when folks feel uncertain about expectations, roles, and what’s coming, engagement drops.
To satisfy this craving, leaders can help fill in knowledge gaps and build certainty by:
- Setting clear expectations
- Communicating priorities
- Creating consistent routines and team rituals
- Normalizing uncertainty in times of change
Get top tips from our Adaptivity & Resilience workshop for settling uncertainty, promoting clarity, and calming overwhelm during times of change.
Read How to Build Leadership Resilience During Change .
Autonomy
We all desire control over our work and decision-making processes. However, finding the right level of autonomy for employees can be tricky. Micromanagement is too little, and free-for-alls are too much – and both can result in anxiety and confusion. Research shows a good balance drives engagement, commitment, and productivity.
Great leaders strike an autonomy balance by:
- Offering choices in daily work and weekly one-on-ones
- Handing over ownership (especially of things folks are passionate about)
- Providing guidance when there’s too much autonomy
- Encouraging team members to set and track their goals
Read How Increasing Employee Autonomy Will Increase Organizational Resilience
Meaning
People thrive on purpose, so when work feels insignificant or unaligned with individual values, it leads to disengagement – resulting in lowered productivity, performance, and motivation. However, according to research, connecting work to folks’ values (even through small efforts) boosts engagement, satisfaction, and productivity.
Cultivate a deeper sense of meaning by:
- Linking work to your company mission and team goals
- Connecting work to peoples’ personal values
- Collecting feedback from your team regularly
- Acknowledging the impact of team members’ work
Progress
Forward momentum and a sense of progress create the best inner work lives, according to Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer, authors of The Progress Principle. Small, continuous wins trigger dopamine, the “feel-good” chemical that fuels engagement.
Help your team recognize their growth, learning, and achievements by:
- Setting and tracking milestones and accomplishments together
- Acknowledging and sharing wins (big and small!)
- Giving frequent feedback
- Checking in on individual development
Learn ways to help employees drive their own progress and development in our Career Growth workshop.
Read Career Growth Without Promotions: How to Support Employee Career Development
Social Inclusion (Fairness)
We’re wired for connection, so feeling excluded hurts. (One study even suggests taking Tylenol can help ease the pain of social rejection!) No wonder a lack of inclusion at work impacts engagement. A sense of belonging and positive team relationships boost commitment, performance, and retention.
Promote workplace inclusion by:
- Encouraging small talk (research shows it builds trust and camaraderie)
- Creating team bonding opportunities
- Monitoring team dynamics (keep in mind dynamics often shift during change)
- Sharing stories about yourself (be vulnerable)
Learn how Column Five Media worked with LifeLabs Learning to create a deliberately inclusive culture.
Combat workplace complacency with a CAMPS Check
Now that you understand the five brain cravings, you can do what we call a CAMPS check to diagnose engagement in your workplace. Here’s how:
- Score: Ask your team members to rate their satisfaction in each CAMPS category on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest.
- Analyze: Identify any low scores – these are your engagement gaps to address.
- Action: Utilize the strategies above to bridge gaps and boost individual and team engagement.
- Optimize: Brainstorm what you can do to increase team members’ lowest scores by one point – get them involved!
You can use a CAMPS check to diagnose and optimize engagement for yourself and your team.
- Self-Diagnosis: Take the CAMPS check to understand your own engagement.
- Team Diagnosis: Do a CAMPS check in your upcoming one-on-ones to test the engagement levels of your team and find opportunities for improvement.
Be sure to share the CAMPS Method™ framework with your team for a shared vocabulary around engagement. And encourage folks to track and nurture all five CAMPS brain cravings for their own continuous growth.
Want more? Read CAMPS: The Best Model for Leading Change at Work.
FAQs
How can I motivate a disengaged team?
Start by identifying what’s missing. The CAMPS Method™ helps you do just that by focusing on five key engagement drivers: Certainty, Autonomy, Meaning, Progress, and Social inclusion. Use a CAMPS check to spot gaps, then take small, targeted actions to reignite motivation.
What’s the best way to combat workplace complacency?
Complacency often creeps in when people feel disconnected or stagnant. The CAMPS Method™ gives you a structure to re-engage your team by boosting clarity, ownership, purpose, momentum, and connection – all of which help keep energy and innovation flowing.
What strategies help employees stay engaged and motivated?
Research shows that when people’s psychological needs are met, engagement naturally increases. That’s where the CAMPS framework shines – offering specific, science-backed strategies leaders can use every day to create a more motivating environment.
What are the top drivers of employee engagement?
Five impactful drivers, based on neuroscience and motivation research, are: Certainty, Autonomy, Meaning, Progress, and Social inclusion. These form the foundation of the CAMPS Method™ and are key to creating a thriving, high-performing team.
What is the CAMPS Method™?
The CAMPS Method™ is a framework developed by LifeLabs Learning to diagnose and improve employee engagement by satisfying five core psychological needs: Certainty, Autonomy, Meaning, Progress, and Social inclusion.
How do I know if my team is disengaged?
Watch for signs like lower performance, reduced participation in meetings, missed deadlines, or less initiative. You can also use a CAMPS check – asking team members to rate their satisfaction in each of the five areas – to pinpoint where motivation might be lacking.
How often should I do a CAMPS check with my team?
We recommend doing a CAMPS check during regular one-on-ones or quarterly check-ins. It’s a great way to stay proactive and support continuous engagement.
Can I use the CAMPS Method™ for myself?
Absolutely! The CAMPS check is a valuable self-reflection tool to better understand your own motivation and identify areas where you might need more support or clarity.
Where can I learn more about how to apply CAMPS at work?The CAMPS Method™ is taught in our Effective 1-1s and Leading Change workshops, where you’ll learn how to apply it in real conversations and team planning. You can also explore more tools through our leadership and management training programs.
