Answers Your Team Is Looking For

Are you a people manager wondering - how to keep your team engaged?

Here is a summary of Kathleen Shanley's article on Forbes.com, where she shares the four questions that are on top of your team's mind.

You want to read this because providing employees with the answers they seek makes them feel seen, heard, and valued. It builds engagement and improves employee retention, customer service, and profitability.

So here are the questions –

1. What's next?
2. What's the reason for the change?
3. How will I be recognized?
4. What is my career path?

The first 2 questions call for transparency about upcoming changes, their purpose and benefits, and why they must be prioritized.

Haziness about these questions can make employees assume the worst and worry about their role and the intentions of others.

On the other hand, taking the time to share this information and the why behind it builds trust and a sense of inclusion. It may also reduce employee stress and unfounded worry.

Gallup study found that younger workers have a higher expectation of appreciation. Employees who feel recognized and prized tend to be more engaged. Leaders need to ensure that recognition criteria and mechanisms are open and wins are not so narrowly acknowledged that they ignore the support received from backend teams.

Employees are expecting managers to help them create their career paths. Managers must work with their teams on setting development goals, making plans to achieve them, and identifying training, coaching, and mentoring needs and supporting them. It is not enough to set goals and timelines for teams' performance and track them. Employees are looking for help connecting with opportunities and understanding the impact of these new opportunities on their career growth.

Rather than letting teams guess and assume, leaders must establish an emotional connection with employees who are looking for meaningful conversations. It is an opportunity for managers to show that they are invested in their team.

Read the full article here - https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescoachescouncil/2024/10/22/four-questions-your-team-wishes-youd-answer/

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