Managing The Misalignment Between Leaders & Their Teams For Improved Engagement, Culture, Production & Profit

Attempting to create or repair a corporate culture whereby employees are highly engaged, exhibit strong leadership and the gap is filled between Managers and their teams seems relatively easy in theory.  

However, motivating employees to move from disengaged to engaged in real-life, real time situations is a challenge for most employers and their Executive teams. Traditionally, Leaders, are educated to learn what motivates individual team members and navigate their needs accordingly so that they are in alignment with the employer’s mission and can produce effectively. This is a particularly daunting task especially when the Leaders are overwhelmed with their own workload, personal tasks, are highly stressed and burnt-out, plus their teams may be large and potentially dispersed over wide geographical areas.

Under the “old paradigm," Leaders who utilize the dangling of the carrot as a reward for compliance has some yet dwindling merit, so I invite you to consider another way, an updated paradigm, one that fits into our current employer and employee needs to increase employee engagement, recruitment, retention and motivation. 

My experience dictates that employee engagement and motivation, is less about employees producing great results, (although this is a major benefit to having highly engaged employees) and more about employees feeling valued, cared about, appreciated, respected and happy at work and in life.

The better employees feel about their work, the more motivated they become and remain over time. I have found that when the traditional modalities used to motivate and improve engagement are discontinued, a new and more meaningful dialogue about the work surfaces. For example, when employees have a clear understanding that their work truly matters and is absolutely relevant to someone or something other than a financial statement I've witnessed shifts from employees doing what is necessary "to just get by" to going above and beyond with excitement.

To motivate and increase employee engagement with your team and organization, try sharing specifically:

• the why
• who benefits and how
• and what will a successful outcome look like for their team, each employee, and recipient.

Research and experience states, that employees are motivated and engaged when their work has relevance.

Be proactive in identifying and addressing roadblocks to progress also. Recognize that conflict, along with both, internal and external challenges can severely impact and stunt engagement and motivation. Ask your employees what is currently in the way that may flush out any and all difficulty. What tools, programs, support can be brought in to ease their burden? 

Recognize contributions and show appreciation with personal and professional development and experiences, because,

old school and familiar as it is to influence employee’s behavior with traditional rewards, (including money) and disciplinary actions, they are no longer effective for sustained motivation, engagement or improved retention and recruitment. Recognizing and acknowledging employee contributions in empowering, creative and unique ways, allows employees to feel appreciated and valued in a far more powerful experience. 

Over the years, I have learned that Leaders and Managers consistently underestimate the power of acknowledgment in bringing forth employee’s best efforts, increased loyalty and improved contribution. I highly encourage Leaders and Managers to check in, without distraction, to assess their own level of engagement and motivation with pure honesty. I state this because if a Leader or Manager struggles still, even after implementing a solid and credible employee engagement, motivational program, it most likely has to do with lack of their own personal and professional development, motivational and engagement blocks. 

Employees are very astute as to whether Leaders have a genuine connection to them, their work and company mission. I encourage Leaders to understand whole heartedly what it is about their role they enjoy the most and the impact they and their team has on others, organizationally speaking, both internally and externally. 

Now is the time to properly set up your organization for long lasting success in a changing world. Would you consider relinquishing outdated methods that are unfortunately still used (ineffectively) to motivate and nourish employee engagement?

Leaders and Managers can start by first, honestly connecting with their own internal dialogue and second, connecting with the needs of your company and supervisor. Learn The 5 Cultural Keys Of Engagement and sooner rather than later, you will lead your team, division and company to supreme success with less effort and more sustainable, profitable success.

To learn more, schedule an exploratory call and see why one of our clients went from 55% retention to 97% retention, in less than 18 months time; just one of many success stories of employers that use our engagement, wellbeing and lifestyle programs.

We look forward to helping you cultivate happier, healthier, more engaged employees and their families one habit at a time.

Pamella Horton BSW, MS, ICES? - www.mavensconnections.com