Here is a figure that should concern every business leader in Belgium. According to the 2023 Gallup survey on the state of work in Europe, only 11% of Belgian employees say they are truly engaged in their work. Eleven percent. This means that nearly nine out of ten employees do their job—but without putting in their energy, creativity, or heart.
This is not a skills crisis. It is a crisis of meaning.
What AI can bring to motivation
Artificial intelligence is not irrelevant to the question of engagement. When used wisely, it can:
- Reduce tedious tasks: automating repetitive, low-value work frees up time for more stimulating activities;
- Personalize development paths: AI platforms analyze skills, progress, and aspirations to suggest tailored training for each employee;
- Improve feedback: tools enable more frequent and structured feedback, without waiting for annual reviews;
- Make performance more visible: clear dashboards help individuals measure their contribution and understand the impact of their work.
These levers are real. When work has meaning and contribution is visible, engagement naturally increases.
But motivation has a depth that AI cannot reach.
Clara, or the consultant who had everything—except the drive
Clara is a consultant in a strategy firm. Competent, recognized, well-paid. Since her company deployed AI tools, her deliverables are faster and better documented. Her managers are satisfied.
Clara, however, feels bored.
Not in an obvious way. She delivers her projects, answers emails, attends meetings. But something has eroded. She no longer really knows why she is doing this work. The tools have made her daily tasks more efficient, but they have not answered the essential question: what for?
It was during an internal development workshop that she found the words to describe what she was feeling: a growing gap between what she was contributing to and what truly motivated her. AI had optimized her execution. But the question of meaning remained unanswered.
What AI will never do for you
Intrinsic motivation – the kind that drives people to truly invest themselves and go beyond what is required – cannot be generated algorithmically. It arises from:
- Alignment between values and work: does what I do matter to me, not just to my employer?
- A sense of progress: learning, growing, feeling more competent than yesterday;
- Authentic relationships: the quality of connections with colleagues, managers, and clients;
- Autonomy: the ability to choose how work is done, not just what is done.
These four dimensions are deeply human. No tool can create them for you. A manager can nurture them. An organizational culture can cultivate them. But it requires genuine attention to each individual.
Re-engaging teams: a managerial and organizational responsibility
In a world where tools are doing more and more of the work, the question of meaning becomes central. If AI takes care of execution, what remains must have value, not only for the organization, but also for the person doing it.
Companies that succeed in maintaining high levels of engagement are not those with the best tools. They are those with managers who can create connection, give meaning, and see each employee as a person—not just a resource.
This is exactly what our training develops: the relational and managerial skills that make the difference between a team that executes and a team that engages. Because in a technology-augmented environment, motivation remains deeply human.
Interested in learning more? Discover our “Happiness Manager” training.
