The importance of employee engagement
Some of my clients believe that the best way that they can help their businesses at the moment is to lock themselves away and try and focus on ‘getting through’. Almost all of this focus is on the external environment (customers, clients, suppliers, competitors) which I understand, But in order to keep their business safe I am also urging my clients to focus internally as well. Your biggest asset at any time is the team that works for you and you must make sure that you are doing your best to keep them on board. You may feel dreadful that you have had to cut their hours or make some of their colleagues redundant but they will respect and serve you best if you keep them informed of what is going on and encourage an environment in which they can clearly see that you are all working towards the same goals.
Here are the Gallup Organisation’s 6 suggestions for how managers can keep employees focused and engaged in times of change:
- Tell employees what you expect from them. Employees are bombarded by bad economic news these days, and they can easily become distracted and lose focus. Managers can keep them on track by regularly communicating expectations, even ones they think are implied or understood.
- Make sure employees have the right materials and equipment. When budgets are limited, employees may not have what they need to get their work done, and they may feel like they shouldn't ask for anything. Managers should be proactive about checking to see if their staff members have what they need to do their jobs. And if managers can't fulfill a request, they should explain why.
- Give people the opportunity to do what they do best. One of the most effective ways to get the most out of employees is to give them the chance to do what they do best every day. Managers should assess whether their employees have an opportunity to maximize their strengths and greatest talents in their current roles -- and if not, make adjustments. It's a quick and inexpensive tactic that can deliver immediate results in improved attitudes and productivity.
- Don't forget to give recognition or praise. Donald O. Clifton, Ph.D., who was known as the "Father of Strengths Psychology," often stated that "We are never as strong as when we have our successes clearly in mind." The best managers celebrate successes, including the less dramatic ones, and recognize workers individually. Even a workplace's best employees may be questioning themselves these days. In rough times, a pat on the back means a lot.
- Let your employees know you care about them. Employees may be dealing with negative emotions that can undermine their work, and it's a mistake for managers to make assumptions about what employees may be thinking or feeling. Taking the time to understand what's going on with everyone on their team will make it easier for managers to help and guide employees. It also creates a personal, human connection, which is a requisite of engagement.
- Keep encouraging their development. Developing employees may be the last thing on most managers’s minds right now. But talking with employees about how they can grow professionally shows that managers care – and reassures employees that they and the company have a future. Investing in employees’ development now will help position them – and the company – for when the good times return.
“The basics of good management don’t change but they do get harder in tough times”. So says Scott Caldwell of Gallup Management. “Employees always need to trust their leaders and they always need to feel cared for. Right now they just need it a little bit more.” He goes on to say “However its important to note that managers need to be engaged too. “They also need to feel cared for, recognised, and safe when things are at their worst. Managers who are not engaged are going to have a very difficult time engaging their teams. So managers – whatever you’re giving your staff, make sure you get a big helping of it yourself”.
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