What do you do if your team's employee engagement is low?

As a leader, if I observe my team's engagement is low, I have to assess my behavior. There are several things a leader can do to ensure high employee engagement: 1. A leader must communicate purpose to their team. The purpose should be greater than oneself and should be beneficial to others. You have to inspire people to get out of bed in the morning due to the work you do. 2. Be consistent and transparent. When a leader fails to be consistent and fails to be transparent it demotivates those on the team. Employees want to be kept informed & understand how their efforts contribute to team success. 3. Foster a culture of inclusion. Ask other's opinions & recommendations. Empower the team to demonstrate initiative & decision-making.

I was given to manage a troubled technology set up, an offshore service business entity that lacked team work and trust on leaders, So, I speak from experience of converting it to a “Best places to work for” unit. Things that helped 1)Trust in Self and Colleagues: Everyone, comes to work with a mindset to build a great work environment 2)Listen and Action: Listening is often a skill missed in leaders. Employees know the solution. Please act on them 3)Focus, Plan and Hussle: It's not easy, trust is not built in a day, be prepared for failures but it's important to stay on course 4)You are Vulnerable, accept it: DON’T be the super hero. Ask for help and you will get it. Surveys, Trainings etc. will help but your personality matters the most!

A leader can assess low team engagement through various indicators. There may be subtle indicators like decreased participation in meetings, lack of enthusiasm, body language, facial expressions during interactions and minimal team interaction. More serious may be decline in productivity, missed deadlines, or increased absenteeism. This is when surveys, one-on-one discussions, or anonymous feedback platforms can provide some insights. In addition, monitor turnover rates observe changes in team dynamics. Addressing these signs promptly can help rekindle team engagement. Regular check-ins and fostering a culture of feedback also would be helpful in maintaining high levels of team engagement.

It is key to diagnose and assess the team’s journey , leader’s journey and the business ambition. 1.Identify strengths and barriers that impact engagement & enablement. 2.Focusing on building Leader’s vulnerability to listen more, share challenges, admit mistakes, set boundaries and ask for help. 3.Building psychological safety among the team members to share openly and learn from failures. 4.Creating a Team charter highlighting what your team stands for, what it want to achieve long term and its role in the organization. Check progress on whether the norms, rituals and behaviours are lived by every member of the team. 5.Role modelling by Leader. 6.Building Leader’s ability to influence and manage upwards & collaborate cross-functionally.

Understanding the motivations of your team is crucial, as it can activate intrinsic drive. Several factors influence this, such as transparency, providing the appropriate context to clarify why a task is significant for both the project and the organization, and aiding them in developing the necessary skill set to comprehend situations and navigate towards solutions effectively.

Don't try to sugarcoat it. If you know things aren't great, don't try to sell them as such - you'll just lose your team's trust. And without trust you have no hope of an honest dialogue. Yes, clear and frequent comms is important. Of course asking for and reacting to feedback is important. But no amount of daily updates will help you if your team members don't trust you.

From my extensive experience in managing diverse and dynamic teams, I've come to recognize that clear communication stands out as the foremost factor in building and developing a successful team. When communication is transparent, open, and consistent, it fosters trust, alignment, and collaboration among team members. Clear communication ensures that everyone understands the team's vision, goals, and expectations, facilitating smoother workflows and more effective problem-solving. Additionally, it creates an environment where team members feel heard, valued, and motivated to contribute their best efforts.

A comunica??o eficiente é vital para o sucesso organizacional, pois facilita a colabora??o, aumenta o engajamento e promove a transparência. Estratégias que incluem canais diversificados e feedback contínuo ajudam a alinhar objetivos e motivar equipes, fortalecendo a cultura corporativa.

With regards to communication, foster open communication where the team is comfortable in expressing their thoughts and ideas. This will give you input as to why there’s a low employee engagement. To foster open communication, as a leader, be open to what they have to say, withhold judgement and acknowledge their thoughts and ideas.

To effectively tackle the issue of team disengagement, it's crucial to first identify the factors that ignite motivation and foster engagement among team members. A leader must possess a profound understanding of the team's: - Needs - Ambitions - Skills Leveraging this understanding allows the leader to come up with strategies tailored to address employees' challenges, offering viable solutions to their issues. Demonstrating unwavering support to employees signifies a commitment to equip them with the necessary tools and resources to enhance performance and cultivate an environment invested in their growth and success.

True empowerment stems from creating an environment where the team feels valued and supported, fostering a culture of trust and collaboration. By recognizing their inherent value and actively listening to their input, leaders inspire ownership and accountability among team members. This approach encourages contribution and innovation, driving collective success and unlocking the team's full potential.

One area of support is investing in their development. It can be mentoring programs or resources to help them enhance their skills and advance in their careers. To have targeted support for them, engage them to understand what are their aspirations and goals in their career. And also identify their potential and share your observations to them. This will also help them discover new areas of interest that they have the potential but didn’t realised.

O suporte ao time é essencial para um ambiente de trabalho produtivo e positivo, onde recursos adequados, orienta??o e reconhecimento s?o fornecidos. Lideran?as atuam como mentores, promovendo inclus?o e supera??o de desafios, o que eleva a satisfa??o e reten??o de talentos, fortalecendo a cultura organizacional.

Provide them with clarity about their job, why it matters and fits in the overall strategy. And if that is not always possible, especially in times of change, show up authentically as your true self. Share what you can, and especially why things are where they are and where we are heading toward. This builds trust and that goes a long way to build engagement for your team.

In my experience, praising team members with specific examples of their unique contributions during both one-on-one meetings and team gatherings has proven incredibly effective. ?? It not only acknowledges their efforts in a meaningful way but also sets a tangible standard for excellence. Additionally, providing them opportunities to share their best practices with the team not only amplifies their achievements but also fosters a culture of learning and mutual growth. ?? This approach elevates the individual and enriches the team as a whole.

Have you ever tried random recognition? Studies show that praise and reward at unexpected times is much more effective than "built-in" recognition. For example, if your team gets a day off after each busy period, soon enough that day off will be expected and won't be considered as a reward, but almost part of their comp&ben package. Now I'm not saying that you should take that away, no, but something you should add in for extra effect is recognition at unexpected times. Wouldn't it make _your_ day if your boss would praise you out of the blue?

Injecting fun into the workplace is essential in today's environment. Creating joyful workspaces fosters happier and more productive teams. Embrace humor, creativity, and flexibility to cultivate an atmosphere where work feels enjoyable and fulfilling. By prioritizing fun and levity, you'll not only boost engagement but also create a culture where employees thrive and look forward to coming to work.

You can also do a virtual coffee chat to connect one on one or take a walk and talk meeting. Incorporate connection throughout your work day. You can do these in person or virtually. One of the most fun things we did as a virtual team was to have a virtual themed happy hour and played 2 truths & a lie! We all got a laugh & learned more about each other ??

Yes fully agreed we must create some team feeling... nothing is more ‘fun’ then a team that trusts each other and starts to meet goals. Important to out weekly staff meeting in place and use it to also celebrate results... meeting each week around company paid lunch is a great team building and bonding activity.

I once had fun going to a virtual bar over Zoom. We all had our favorite drinks and talked about why we liked them. That was a memorable meeting.

Although we know what actions are boosting employee engagement, not all the cases have the same reasons that cause low engagement. To identify what is the root of the problem is crucial if you want to work on targeted actions to reverse the culture of the organization. Active listening is the first step to start with. Usually people know what is causing low employee engagement all we have to do is listen and accept even in cases we don't agree 100%. Perception is reality and we need to respect their perception to move and change the situation.

When one feels belonged, one feels engaged and empowered too! Providing an inclusive environment is the bedrock of employee engagement and retention and eventually employee attraction too! Small actions count more. Everyday conversation tone, coffee machine conversation topics, tone and language - verbal/non verbal/emails matter to each one and can either make or mar the culture leading to impact on employees morale and engagement.

Learning how to be vulnerable leads to improved engagement. Being vulnerable enables a leader to establish common ground with his/her team, and common ground is the basis of relationships. It leads to trust. But the leader has to show the way. I call it allowing others to peek under the tent flap of who we are so that others get to know us. I didn't say move into the tent but share what's appropriate given the culture of the organization, the situation, and always understand that context matters. Beware of oversharing but by all means, lead by example.

The way you treat the leadership team of an organization or operation will eventually result in the culture of the operation. Treat them with respect, become a servant leader.. have fun, celebrate wins and treat all as equal partners and equal decision makers