You can't motivate all employees. Sometimes, reliable is good enough. Dear Bob …I read your recent post, “Whether leaders can motivate,” (Advice Line, 7/16/2008). If I understood you properly, in theory the job of the leader is to determine the needs, wants and desires of the employee and use those factors to generate opportunities to motivate the employee. My question: What if the employee is unmotivated and pretty much states there are no factors that motivate him or her? What do you do with the unmotivated employee that does not become more motivated over time. The daily grind of work is enough for him or her. How does a leader handle this employee when others around can be motivated through needs, wants and desires? – Working to motivateDear Working …I once read that the secret to contentment is to want what you have. If you have an employee who falls into that category, and who is happy to coast in exchange for a job with no pressure, no chance of advancement and a paycheck that at best keeps up with inflation … well, you have two choices. If, in your judgment, the employee returns his/her salary plus 70% (“The 70% solution,” IS Survival Guide (InfoWorld), 3/4/1996) then assign work to the person’s capacity and be happy you have one less employee to worry about. The company is turning a profit on this individual, he/she isn’t likely to leave for a better opportunity (not interested in opportunity, you said), so what the heck. If, on the other hand, the employee doesn’t pass this test, or if you don’t have enough suitable work and need someone willing to stretch and flex, then you need to inform this individual that you’ve just redefined “opportunity” to include “continue to work here.” It’s perfectly valid to let someone know that if there isn’t enough work of the kind they’re accustomed to to keep them busy, then they have to be willing to take on a new role where there’s more than enough work that needs to get done.– Bob Technology Industry