5 steps to a productive, motivated, and engaged workforce

Employees thrive when they feel a sense of belonging, a sense of connection to their job, team, company and overall purpose of the organization. People want their work to be meaningful. People want their contribution to be impactful. They strive to add value with their work not only for a sense of personal satisfaction and accomplishment, but also to contribute to something greater.?

People will feel motivated and be willing to give their best when they are acknowledged and recognized for their work, when they feel respected, valued, supported and connected.?

While this sounds simple and maybe even the obvious way to go, it′s not often that easy to create and maintain the right work environment. Company culture can be similar to a brand. It is defined by many things, some are tangible and measurable and others are more about perceptions and hard to identify. However, the overall sentiment is noticeable and can heavily impact how people on a team, a division and at organization as a whole feel at work. It is something that needs to be continuously worked on and cared for.?

A negative work environment can quickly creep in when a bad or inexperienced manager takes charge, leaders are not able to put themselves in the shoes of their employees or a few employees themselves behave in a ways that are toxic for their colleagues.??

What can we do to create a workplace where employees feel acknowledged and recognized for their work, and respected, valued, supported and connected to an organization and its people?

Here are 5 actionable tips that that my clients have successfully implemented over the years at their organizations to create a positive work environment designed for both employees and businesses to thrive.?

?1) Engage regularly with colleagues to build great relationships

Consistency is a key ingredient to success in building great relationships. Not only does it provide multiple contact points and opportunities to engage, it also allows people to build trust in one another. When we are consistent in our behaviors and our communication it lets others know what to expect from us.?

2) View employees not as resources, but as humans who work

A client recently talked to me about how he is trying to retain an employee that is entertaining other offers. He started off the conversation with “It′s not only about salary. What else can I do?” My questions to him were: What′s going on for that person? What is it that′s important to them? What value do they feel they contribute to your organization and what value do they feel they get from working for you? What′s missing for him? Once you determine what the motivation is behind his wandering eyes, then you can see if there is anything you can do to effectively fill in the gaps.?

By acknowledging employees on a personal level, leaders can significantly enhance the employee experience & reduce turnover. ?

3) Engage with people how they like to interact?

People have different preferences about how they processes information, communicate and connect with each other. Some people may love to talk, others prefer written or visual communication and some are going to engage better in a more hands on way. Learning how to engage with employees in a way that they feel comfortable is key to creating communication and connection.?

Leaders do not establish the right way to communicate. Leaders are the ones who skillfully adapt to the ways of others.

4) Practice the art of listening?

Listen to understand. Listen to gain perspective & see another′s viewpoint.?People feel good when they feel heard and their opinions are acknowledged and respected. You should be listening more than talking to help create an environment where employees feel comfortable expressing themselves. When employees share their thoughts, be curious. Ask them to tell you more. If you don’t understand, ask for clarification. If you don′t agree, acknowledge their point of view before respectfully disagreeing or even consider whether it is actually necessary to disagree. Are you voicing your opinion just because you can or will disagreeing add value to the work, conversation or to the relationship? ?

Practicing these listening skills will take you far in creating a culture of inclusion, collaboration and psychological safety.??

5) Prioritize formal and informal feedback

Seek feedback from your colleagues. Allow space for employees to openly voice their opinions. Talking openly about things that work as well as challenges allows for a group to feel valued and supported by each other. Lead conversations about performance and productivity with empathy. Prioritize learning about employees’ interests and strengths. Understand what success loos like to them, and co-create goals that help them meet both their professional and personal needs.?

Facilitation, Appreciation, and Empowerment are leadership superpowers.?

Leadership is not determined by title. It is about who you are and how you interact with others. Great leaders are lifelong learners. They are focused on continuous improvement, and strengthening their ability to adapt and to face challenges as learning opportunities.?

What are you doing to be a good leader? What can you start doing tomorrow??

Please share your experiences.?

Some bonus material:?

1. A fabulous and insightful HBR article focusing on The Great Resignation from the viewpoint not of the employees who are leaving, but of those employees who are staying?
2. A video on what to do when there is a leadership gap and you want to be the one chosen?to fill it
3. What does it look like to lead with compassion? Check out this post to find out.?
4. A short video on how to be a good colleague and avoid doing things that might unwillingly be stressing out your coworkers
5. Creating a positive work environment is so important for mental health. This survey shows the real impact that a toxic work environment can have on employees and on the bottom line.

If you found this first Newsletter valuable, let me know by subscribing, because feedback matters.?

Thanks,

Michele