Culture and engagement are at the top of virtually every list when it comes to what is important to both employees and managers. The impact of low engagement spreads beyond just disenchanted staff. It hits shareholder value. However, organizations with high engagement tend to have above-average shareholder returns.
Statistics show that companies with highly engaged employees enjoy 2.5 times more revenue than their less engaged peers. And, employees with low engagement are also 4 times more likely to leave an organization than those with high engagement. Those numbers are scary! Can your company afford the ripple effect of losses that accompany disengagement? For many, the answer is no.
So, what can be done to turn disengagement around and even prevent it?
Drivers of Engagement
There are Four Drivers of Engagement. They are:
- Strength-Based Performance: Unlocking the full potential of your workforce hinges on recognizing and leveraging individual strengths. By aligning tasks with employees’ innate talents and passions, organizations unlock untapped potential, propelling performance forward.
- Clarity of Expectations: Clear, well-defined expectations serve as the North Star guiding employee efforts. When roles, responsibilities, and objectives are transparently communicated, employees can navigate their path with confidence.
- Frequent, Varied Communication: Effective communication lies at the heart of engagement, fostering connectivity, collaboration, and camaraderie. Embracing a spectrum of communication channels – from regular one-on-one check-ins to dynamic team meetings – creates an inclusive environment where ideas flourish and productive feedback flows.
- Focus on Future Development: Nurturing a culture of continuous growth not only empowers employees to evolve personally and professionally but also fortifies organizational resilience. By investing in tailored development plans, organizations signal a commitment to employee success.
How to Foster Engagement
Engagement is defined as “Winning the hearts and minds of employees in ways that inspire them to deliver high performance.” Sounds good, right? The four drivers of engagement provide a good outline for what leaders and managers need to do to cultivate engagement in their employees, but how do you know if you’re doing it right?
It all starts with awareness. You must be aware that people all have different thinking preferences and that everyone processes information differently.
This is where the Whole Brain Model comes into play, too. Understanding how and why people do what they do will help you engage them and close the gap that is often formed before you even know it.
There are several keys for managers to understand in order to engage their employees.
- Own: Empower employees to take ownership of their work, fostering a sense of accountability and pride in their contributions.
- Value: Recognize and appreciate the unique talents and perspectives each individual brings to the table, cultivating a culture of inclusion and respect.
- Stretch: Encourage employees to push beyond their comfort zones, fostering growth and development through challenges and opportunities.
- Align: Ensure clarity and alignment between individual goals and organizational objectives, fostering cohesion and momentum toward shared aspirations.
- Coach: Embrace a coaching mindset, providing guidance, support, and feedback to nurture the professional growth and success of your team members.
63% of employees say their manager has a direct influence on their satisfaction and engagement. It’s up to you to determine if that influence will be a good one or a bad one.
For more information on how to bridge the engagement gap and learn about your employees and yourself, check out the webinar, Developing “Thinking Managers” To Bridge the Engagement Gap, presented by Ann Herrmann-Nehdi.
