Leadership mindsets - How a caring mindset can improve employee engagement?

Have you ever experienced a work situation where you felt at home or in a close circle of trust? Do you know what triggered these senses??

Our experiences both at work and in life generally are defined by micro-moments. These micro-moments are single moments of connection we make in a given environment. They can come in the form an eye contact, a smile, or simply by being present.?

In high performing organisations, one's sense of caring is familiar in these micro-moments. This refers to the degree of affection and compassion people feel and express toward one another. There are significant benefits to carrying a caring mindset inside a work environment, for example, lower absenteeism, less burnout, more excellent teamwork, and higher job satisfaction. Because of its measurable value, organisations should include this in their leadership principles.?

The opposite of caring is controlled. This refers to the degree of perceived regulation inside a given environment. These environments are mostly made up of conscious and unconscious policies and procedures.?

How do caring and controlling mindsets create alternate dynamics? When we employ a control mindset, we tend to disregard emotions. This triggers our stress hormones, and we become fearful and resistant to change. Unfortunately, this state can sometimes manifest as emotional abuse of power.?

However, in a caring mindset, there is often modelling of value-based positive behaviours, allowing our brains to release positive neurotransmitters that expand our ability to both gain and offer an emotional connection. This results in more open thinking and can better engage with our surroundings.?

So, how can you, as a leader, evolve your mindset from control to caring? First of all, you need to acknowledge the way in which we show up, as employees or leaders, is highly dependent on the environment. It is vital to create work conditions that trigger collective mental capacity, but we need to equally care about supporting one's social, emotional, and psychological needs. Then you need to model presence. We all have an innate need to be seen, heard, and to be cared for. It is our number one responsibility to be present with our colleagues. Lastly, you need to celebrate moments of connection. A quick celebration of a small collaboration can really feed into one's validation of self and, at the same, drive belonging for many others inside the organisation.?

Remember, caring for the sake of caring does not work. One can never cheat their way outside of authenticity in a given relationship.