There are four simple ways to help employees become engaged, and all of them begin with the leaders of the business.
This is Part 3 of our series about employee engagement. Part 1 and Part 2 addressed common issues businesses face when employees are unengaged.
“Great leaders are team builders; they create an environment that fosters trust and collaboration.”
It is important to do more than talk about the theory. There are tangible ways to implement values that foster engagement. There are four simple ways to help employees become engaged, and all of them begin with the leaders of the business. Before implementing them, however, the business must first assess the current engagement level. There are engagement surveys that can measure the engagement attitudes of the employees so that benchmarks can be set. The first way to improve engagement is to make sure that the leaders in the organization value the concept of engagement and that the leaders themselves are engaged in the organization. An unengaged leader cannot improve engagement in his department. George Abner, author of The Practice of Leadership said, “Great leaders are team builders; they create an environment that fosters trust and collaboration.”
Second, make sure employees have meaningful job descriptions and that the jobs they are in are relevant to their skills, personalities, educational levels, and interests. Third, make sure that teamwork is encouraged and collaboration is valued. If the leader allows an atmosphere of unhealthy competition to exist, then team spirit will smolder. Finally, allow for happenings that allow co-workers to see each other’s more human aspects. Some opportunities include office birthday celebrations, off-site quarterly luncheons, occasional chit-chat in the hallway, or informal, brief holiday celebrations.
Engagement is the solution to maintaining productivity.
The recent recession has sparked analysis of the workplace nationwide, but such analysis is often inaccurate or incomplete. Many employers believe that those still employed have a mindset of relief and thankfulness, and that they will do everything in their power to keep their positions. While this is somewhat true, those still employed are also struggling with a complex array of negative emotions fostered by a lack of engagement. Many are distressed over the loss of fellow coworkers while simultaneously worrying about their own jobs. Engagement is the solution to maintaining productivity. Disengaged and distressed workers will not meet their productivity potential. Managers should consider engagement a top priority during this especially sensitive time. With a renewed sense of leadership and a valid attempt at engagement, workers will begin to feel more at ease, and will maximize their productivity.
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