Disengagement; the silent assassin in organizational effectiveness & how leaders can combat it
We are living in a time where there is a fundamental shift in employee/employer relationships. Between technology and The Great Awakening, the landscape has changed giving employees the freedom to work anywhere in the world, often on their terms. Yet according to a recent study from Gallup, 60% are disengaged, and 19% are miserable. Those are pretty staggering numbers, and it makes me wonder how much more effective and profitable an organization could be if those numbers were different.
The reality is, a majority of the responsibility is on the leaders to create a culture and dynamic of engagement. But how do we achieve this in a hybrid ecosystem, when there are so many balls in the air? Here are my top 3 recommendations to get your employees engaged:
Make clear the importance of the organization's purpose AND your team’s purpose: Ensuring your team is fully aligned and on board with how their department contributes to the success of the organization will bring a sense of pride and importance to their daily functions regardless of the task. Once that is clear to the team and there is a sense of alignment, cascading the impact the organization has on its customers creates a deeper sense of purpose. It makes their day-to-day projects much bigger than them. Don’t know where to start? Make it interactive at your next team meeting and do a pop quiz, asking your team to tell you what the department's purpose is. If there is silence or people have different answers, it’s a wonderful opportunity to open dialogue and build the team's purpose together.
Define the team's core values: Most organizations have core values defined, but how are you reinforcing them and bringing it into your daily encounters? Giving recognition to those who are exhibiting the company’s values will serve as an excellent example that they aren’t just words on a page but something you look for as a leader. The company’s values should be the baseline for your team, but have you thought about values that are specific to your department? For instance, the accounting department might value precision and integrity, whereas the sales department might value confidence. Including your employees in the discovery process to define your teams’ values allows them to be seen and heard, and ultimately, they will buy in and uphold something they’ve helped build.
Create a system of feedback and recognition: Have you ever heard the saying that no news is good news? Sometimes as leaders we are juggling a lot so if things are going well, we carry on without recognizing what's working. Then, if a problem arises, we are obliged to address it. The truth is, there should be a consistent flow of feedback from you to your team and vice versa regardless of the context. Pointing out what your employees have done well will show them they are on course, and they will be highly likely to continue that behavior. Additionally, if you are consistently giving specific feedback about what is going well, critical feedback won’t be as alarming because they know that you’re redirecting them to get back on course. Feedback serves as one form of recognition to your team, but that is just the tip of the iceberg! Keeping it simple and scalable so you can easily maintain it is an incredibly important aspect to building a successful model. People want critical feedback so they can continue their journey of development and growth. It is our duty as leaders to build a culture of coaching and feedback for our teams to keep them engaged and the company progressing.
Honing into these three areas drives engagement and productivity and bottom-line results. A culture of engagement is 23% more profitable according to Gallup. It is well worth the time and effort.