Rajeshree
Great question! and one that was asked to assess your capability as a good HR professional in the following areas:
-- are you capable of handling senior members
-- are you proactive in your approach
-- do you have the capability to think out of the box ( be innovative in your approach)
So what would my approach be to this problem. Quite different from what has been proposed till now.... :-)
I will try to first explain what my opinion is of the problem itself and then maybe the solution that i propose would make more sense.
About the employee :-
-- Committed ( long term employment)
-- Performer ( Has been top performer previously)
-- Industry recognition (Management doesn't want to lose him, Important person) - This cant be only because of what management feels but also because how the market will react to the news of his leaving the organization. A true " Key member" profile
About his present Condition :-
--- Depressed (Can't face losses and taking leaves regularly )
--- De motivated ( Too frequent leaves and no proactive activity being done to change the situation)
Speculation about his thought process :-
-- NO value in trying to get out of the situation ( Given up - hopeless situation)
-- Not happy doing the same thing again and again ( no interest hence no activity)
-- Communication failure ( His communication channel with Management not as effective as before. The chances are that they are not listening. He tried, no effect and hence no more)
It is a misconception that motivation can only be done by a senior. Anyone can motivate anybody... You just need to know how. A classic example is a that of a child - unconsciously a parent gets motivated so easily by children, don't they?
So what would my approach be?
I will start an informal dialog with the senior professional. I will immediately transform him into the role of an advisor. I will play the same scenario back to him (telling him about a fictitious friend having a problem and how i need to help them. and how i felt he would be the right person to advice me on this because of his profile, expertise and experience) and ask him what the possible solution would be...:-). I will repeatedly go to him over the next few days, deliberately steering the conversation more and more deep into the situation, arguing, discussing, steering him towards his own experiences with the whole purpose of getting him to relive his past glories again.... and again.... questioning him why the same cant be done now... what changed and why. I will ensure that all along he is in the "teacher" mode sharing knowledge.
In a few dialog you WILL get the root cause of the existing problem and the chances are that the solution will also be there, right in front of you. By doing this exercise , you will not only inform the candidate but also motivate him.
The chances are that you will need to get this professional transform from a performer to a mentor. His job role needs to change. He needs to become a teacher. He should not be the performer but a creator of multiple similar performers. His new role as a creator will give him new energy and motivation to once again achieve and succeed. That is, in my honest opinion, one of the ways to convert this desperate situation into a win win situation for everyone, all around.
Just my way of handling the situation and opinions will differ on how effective it can be...:-)
Cheers and a happy festival season for every one.
Navneet Chandra