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You may have heard that organizations are only as strong as their leaders. While there may be some truth to that, you also likely understand that leaders can get nowhere without their staff. Employees who are thoroughly engaged can take a mediocre project and turn it into a profitable outcome. Here are five ways to engage your employees in your business to lead to success.
1. Support
The first step to successful employee engagement is recognizing them as people first and staff members second. Even team members who are very committed to their work must set healthy boundaries with their time away from work. Of course, you want to respect their time with their families, but supporting them doesn't end there. Be intentional about designated spaces at work that give employees a place to let off steam or relax. Consider an in-house company gym or pool. It may sound expensive, but you may be surprised how affordable an option it can be when you search "pool builders near me" online. Every workplace should have a kitchenette that is homey and comforting and stocked with more than just a microwave, sink and coffee pot. Seating areas invite opportunities for casual conversations among coworkers and can help them take a break from their desks.
2. Vision
You can't lead others if you don't know the direction you're headed. Employees want to know what is expected of them, and it's hard to outline their responsibilities without first talking about the big picture. Having a clear vision for your company and communicating that vision well is a vital step in employee engagement. They want to know what the company's goals are and how they fit into them. This knowledge helps them feel a part of the company's culture.
3. Trust
The members of your staff probably chose to work for your company because they believe in its vision and like what you're doing. Another likely factor involved in their decision is that their own expertise fits in with the company mission. It's important as an employer to remember that. Rather than micromanaging every aspect of a project, give a few key guidelines and a deadline, let team members know you're available to answer questions, and then walk away. If you trust them to take care of the work you've given them to do, they are not likely to disappoint you.
4. Consult
People invest more work in decisions they help to make. Traditional business structures tend to favor top-down communication. That is, the leader makes most, if not all, of the decisions and issues directives on how to carry them out. Engagement experts, however, praise the merits of bottom-up communication. When you involve employees in establishing the procedures that affect them, it tends to improve morale. You also get more productive results when you include people at all levels in the decision-making process. For example, those in entry-level positions may have great ideas about how to improve service to the customers with whom they interact every day that the CEO would never come up with. Integrative decision-making benefits everyone.
5. Develop
Many people assume if they are not getting negative feedback that everything is okay. Then when they meet with their supervisor for their yearly review, they are bombarded with all the things they need to improve. This can be very discouraging. While no one particularly enjoys constructive criticism, frequent check-ins can help employees make timely changes as issues arise. It also gives you the opportunity to direct them to resources that can help build their strengths.
While it's important to hone your skills as a leader, it's just as important to build up your team. Improving employee engagement can be a great boost to your business.