| 10 Tips For Creating An Engaged Team |
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- Reflect - An employee's attitude about the workplace and organisation is influenced dramatically by what his or her boss says and does. Before you can help your team become more engaged, you must be engaged yourself.
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Expectations - People perform best when they know what is expected of them. Each member must be clear about their roles and responsibilities, and the expected outcomes.
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Development - Employees look for personal development and training to enhance their skills to take new responsibilities in their employment. Stagnant employees are neither engaged nor productive.
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Empower - Wherever possible, give your team the opportunity to make decisions. Nothing kills engagement like not having the authority or the resources necessary to do the job at hand.
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Be visible - Don't hide away in your office. Even if there is nothing particularly fundamental occurring within the organisation, it is important to regularly communicate with your team about how things are going and what might be on the horizon. Keeping them in the loop shows that your value their perspective and respect their feelings.
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Know your team - Find out about your team members and what it is that makes them tick. Invest time in conversations about expectations for their roles. Ask questions about how they feel about the organisation, work, customers and other key issues.
- Remove Negativity - If you have a negative opinion regarding a team member, try approaching them as a source of knowledge with something valuable to contribute to the organisation. When it comes to employees' everyday responsibilities, nobody knows the subject better than they do.
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Recognition - Find occasions to praise people for what they do right. Reward those who demonstrate progress in building engagement while still remembering that not all rewards need to be financial.
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Recruiting - Make every effort to look for evidence of high engagement in the applicants previous job positions. Select applicants that are positive, and more likely to become enthusiastic employees.
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Support - Coach those individuals who do not seem to be actively engaged. Provide encouragement when people seem to be unhappy or disappointed. |
| Finally ... |
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Ultimately, managers must keep in mind that employees are a company's greatest asset. Some people are naturally tuned to give their all and do their best no matter where they work. But the majority of people require the guidance of skilled managers who welcome their ideas, ask for feedback, and generate enthusiasm.
Now you are fully engaged, go and infect the rest of your team, but remember, employee engagement does not happen overnight! |
