Employee Engagement – Page 10 – Doug Dickerson on Leadership

What a pleasure life would be to live if everybody would try to do only half of what he expects others to do. – William J.H. Boetcker

A story from Bits & Pieces tells of a manager and a sales rep standing and looking at a map on which colored pins indicate the company representatives in each area. “I’m not going to fire you, Wilson,” the manager said, “but I’m loosening your pin just to emphasize the insecurity of the situation.” That, of course, is a light-hearted reminder of the complexity of the employer/employee relationship.

Ask most people at their place of business what they need from their employers to be more successful or productive on the job and they will be quick to tell you. But when you ask them what they don’t need in order to be more productive is when things get interesting. Not long ago I asked a group of workers what they didn’t need in order to succeed. It was eye-opening exercise you should try.

Writing in a Harvard Business Review blog (http://bit.ly/1rEOqqS), Gretchen Gavett reported on the findings of the American Psychological Association’s new “Work and Well-Being Survey”. The good news out of their report is that 70 percent of people are satisfied with their jobs. But once you look below the surface there are a few troubling signs.

“Although almost two-thirds of employees feel their company treats them fairly,” writes Gavett, “other aspects don’t look so good. More than half feel like their employer isn’t open and upfront, a third feel that their organization isn’t always honest and truthful. One in four say they don’t trust their employer at all, and that’s a big deal.”

While intuitively we should know that open communication and trust are essential to good employer/employee relationships it still resurfaces as an issue to address. Knowing what your people need to succeed is important, but also knowing what they don’t need from you will certainly help. Here are four things to start with.

Your negative attitude

In as much as positive attitudes are contagious so are negatives ones. If you make it a habit to circulate among your people with a bad attitude, always finding fault, only focusing on what’s wrong, then your presence will be a demoralizing factor. The truth be told, your people may have every tool they need to succeed but if you have a negative attitude then it is hindering them. Among my informal survey this was the most cited response.

Your indifference

Everyone likes to be appreciated, valued, and wants to believe that their work makes a difference. But if you come across as indifferent to their work, ideas, and contributions then you are sending signals that they are unimportant to you. If you place no value in your people then how can you expect them to place value in their work? Indifference breeds indifference and the results will be devastating.

Your Obstruction

Your leadership style will either facilitate the progress of your people or it will stand in their way. If you burden people down with unnecessary policies and procedures, time-wasting meetings, or ill-timed interruptions then you are in the way. Your employees should not be made to pay the price for your poor time management skills. Don’t allow the “tyranny of the urgent” to be an obstruction to your people.

Your Inconsistencies

While most of your people will never speak up about this don’t mistake it for not noticing. Inconsistent actions by management always send the wrong message. When you communicate one thing and do another then you have planted doubt and mistrust in the minds of your people. Your employees don’t need mixed messages. It only creates confusion and animosity.

So, what’s the bottom line? What do your employees need? From their management team they need leaders with positive attitudes who see the good and bad and know how to address both. They need engaged leaders who know their business without being in their business. They need leaders who clear paths towards success and goal achievement without creating barriers. They need strong leaders who fairly and consistently put forth the values, vision, and best practices of the organization so that everyone can succeed.

What do you say?

I welcome your feedback:

1. What additional things would you add to the list?

2. How can employers do a better job building relationships with their employees?

3. What are some best practices that you can share that have been helpful in your experience?

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Give whatever you are doing and whoever you are with the gift of your attention. – Jim Rohn

Dale Carnegie Training recently released new findings on employee engagement (http://bit.ly/12GBqXI) and the results proved to be quite intriguing. The first and most dramatic finding shows that if an employee is dissatisfied with their immediate supervisor, there is an 80 percent chance that they are disengaged. Similarly, having a “caring” manager is one of the key elements to a positive and successful employee engagement strategy. Employees want to feel valued and have their manager take an interest in their personal lives, health and well-being.

Other notable findings include:

* Executives (VP and higher) and medical workers are the most highly engaged group of employees; Employees in education, social work, and sales are the least engaged.

* 26% of engaged employees would leave their current job for just a 5% pay increase, 46% of partially engaged employees would leave their current job for just a 5% pay increase, 69% of disengaged employees would leave their current job for just a 5% pay increase.

* Senior leadership’s actions also have a direct impact on employee engagement; 61% of employees who have confidence in the leadership abilities and think that senior leaders are moving the organization in the right direction are fully engaged, 49% of employees who were satisfied with their direct manager were engaged, 80% of employees who were very dissatisfied with their immediate supervisor were disengaged.

From this exhaustive research we are reminded of the complexities of the 21^st century workplace and the need for strong leadership. We understand that engagement is critical not just to employee productivity but to longevity as well. The challenges for managers, supervisors, and executives can be overwhelming. Here are three tips to help you engage your employees and build a strong team.

Rule 1 – Inspire their passions. As a leader, your engagement with your employees is about inspiring their passion and offering whatever assistance you can to help them achieve their goals. In the book, Rules of Thumb, Alan M. Webber writes, “Would you rather have tepid success with something that doesn’t matter or a brilliant future with something that does?” When you engage your employees you help them to discover that brilliant future they desire, and serve as a catalyst for their passions.

When they see that you are inspired by their passion it will cause them to step up and deliver. When you give team members the tools they need, the inspiration to perform, and the courage to achieve their dreams that is a level of engagement that paves the way for great accomplishment.

Rule 2 – Direct their energies. The best ideas in the world do not mean a thing without action. You become engaged and vested in your employees when you help them focus their energies in the right direction and put forth measurable goals of achievement. If you are disengaged in their work, goals and passions, they will be disengaged from you. Consequently they will not perform at levels you like, and they very well may be planning their exit strategy.

When energies are directed with purpose, clarity, and enthusiasm you set the bar high for their personal growth and their personal engagement. When this is achieved there is a greater degree of certainty they will deliver, be more engaged, and be happier employees.

Rule 3 – Reward their effort. As you demonstrate genuine engagement and support for your team members you are positioning them for success. When you do your part to equip your employees do not forget to reward them for what they deliver. This type of engagement goes a long way toward building the morale your company needs and shows that you care.

Whatever incentive or reward program you implement it is just another layer of engagement to solidify your leadership. Without question each employee must take ownership of his or her level of engagement and be responsible for it. But when you take the time to notice and reward those efforts it makes your job that much easier.

Are you engaged?

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Doug Dickerson on Leadership

Tag: Employee Engagement

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