Tip
internal communications photo

When your employees are engaged, they believe in your company’s mission, understand how they support it and come to work ready to give their best effort. But, according to recent research, a staggering 53% of the workforce remains unengaged. So what can you do to give employees an extra bit of motivation?

As a manager and team leader, you have a unique opportunity to engage employees. Here are five easy, low-effort tactics to shake up your routine and create high engagement within your team:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Connect employees’ work with company goals

Working with colleagues in pursuit of a common goal helps employees develop a sense of community and creates a culture of cooperation. But for many employees, the company’s goals can seem too far removed from their own.

As a manager, be sure to routinely connect the dots between everyday tasks and long-term strategy:

  • Visuals are a great way to simplify complex strategies into digestible terms. Use graphs and charts to break down numbers or explain intricate work flows.
  • A two-way dialogue is often the best way to promote understanding of any topic. Ask employees which parts of the strategy they’d like to learn more about. 

 

 

 

 

 

Recognize employee contributions

Most people sleep better at night knowing their work impacts success.

Set a few minutes aside each week to show your team members the tangible effects of their hard work:

  • If a leader says something positive about your team’s work, make sure your employees hear about it.
  • If your team member does outstanding work, be sure to congratulate him or her right away. Give your star employee a shout-out on the company social media or in an email to the whole team. 

 

 

 

 

 

Host meetings somewhere fun

Meetings in the same rooms with the same format can sap the energy from even your most creative attendees.

A simple change of scenery can transform an otherwise routine meeting into a positive work experience:

  • Host your meeting in a nearby park or even consider a walking meeting if your team is fitness-inclined.
  • Invite your team out and discuss a topic over lunch or coffee. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Give and receive feedback more frequently

Candid conversations help employees feel more like active members of a team, rather than just humble subordinates. And too often, candid feedback gets confused with something negative.

To break the negative stigma, change up the way feedback is exchanged on your team:

  • Don’t follow positive feedback with negative. Put employees at ease by giving them plenty of praise with no strings attached.
  • Ask employees about your performance and if they have suggestions for improvement, make an effort to follow through on them. 

 

 

 

 

Provide opportunities to learn

Encourage employees to attend courses or conferences that cater to their professional interests.

By showing an active interest in their career development, you’re showing that the company is committed to their success:

  • If you see that one of your team members is showing aptitude at a certain task, challenge him or her to pursue learning in that topic. 

​If your organization permits, attend a group class so everyone can sharpen their skills as a team.