There was a sentence published on a random local newspaper
couple of month ago which impressed me, the sentence was: "Give whatever you are
doing and whoever you with the gift of your attention".
Dale Carnegie training and consulting, recently released new
findings on employee engagement and reeading the results was quite intriguing to me.
The first and most dramatic finding shows that if an
employee is dissatisfied with their immediate supervisor, there is an 80%
chance that they are disengaged. Similarly, having a “caring” manager is one of
the key element 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:
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Executives 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 the 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 direct manager were disengaged.
Thanks to this exhaustive research we are reminded of the
complexities of the 21st 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.
Following my 3 tips to help engage your employees and build
a strong team:
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Tip# 1, inspire their passions. As a leader,
your engagement with your employees is about inspiring their passions and
offering whatever assistance you can to help them achieve their goals. If you
read the book “Rules of Thumb”, author Alan M. Webber, you can find the
following question: 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
passions 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.
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Tip# 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 they will deliver, be more engaged and be happier
employees.
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Tip# 3, Reward their effort. As you demostrate
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/her own level of engagement and be responsible for it. But
when you take the time to notice and reward those efforts it
makes your job much easier.
Are you an engaged employee? Are you an engaging leader?
