The Psychology of Team Member Engagement

Engaged team members are emotionally and behaviourally connected to their job and company; they are invested in their workplace and want it to succeed. Disengaged team members, on the other hand, do as little as possible or at least the minimum to get by. The greater the team member engagement, the better the business outcomes. Business units in the top quartile of?Gallup's global engagement database, for instance, are 17% more productive and 21% more profitable than those in the bottom quartile.

Gallup's research has consistently found that organisations that facilitate team members doing what they do best increase engagement and productivity. On the other hand, when team members find their skills or interests do not match their roles, they struggle to succeed or stay motivated.

70% of the variance in team member engagement?is attributed to managers. Team members with little to no one-on-one time with their manager are highly likely to be disengaged. Team members who get twice the number of one-on-ones with their manager relative to their peers are 67% less likely to be disengaged. On average, only 15% of team members who work for a manager who does not meet with them regularly are engaged; managers who regularly meet with their team members almost tripled that level of engagement.

When a manager doesn't meet with team members one-on-one at all or neglects to provide on-the-job training, team members are two times as likely to view leadership unfavourably compared to those who meet with their managers regularly.

A quick team member engagement test

To get a deeper understanding of team member engagement, managers may find it worthwhile to reflect on the Gallup 12 core questions Gallup developed to measure the most important elements of employee engagement in organisations. After decades of writing, Gallup tested and refined hundreds of questions to help measure employee engagement more effectively.

One way managers can use these questions is to ask themselves: 'If my team members took this survey today, how would they answer?'

1. Do you know what is expected of you at work?
2. Do you have the materials and equipment to do your work right?
3. At work, do you have the opportunity to do what you do best every day?
4. In the last seven days, have you received recognition or praise for doing good work?
5. Does your supervisor, or someone at work, seem to care about you as a person?
6. Is there someone at work who encourages your development?
7. At work, do your opinions seem to count?
8. Does the mission/purpose of your company make you feel your job is important?
9. Are your associates (fellow employees) committed to doing quality work?
10. Do you have a best friend at work?
11. In the last six months, has someone at work talked to you about your progress?
12. In the last year, have you had opportunities to learn and grow?

The questions have been divided into four types or levels of team member performance development needs.

1.???? Basic needs

2.???? Individual needs

3.???? Teamwork needs

4.???? Personal growth need.

When managers hold regular weekly or biweekly one-on-one meetings, they gain insights about the whole gamut of needs in the engagement hierarchy illustrated above – from individual needs to teamwork needs which help them build stronger and more engaged teams.

Holding regular meetings and providing consistent feedback pays dividends not only in engagement but also in performance. Team members who meet regularly with their manager generate higher performance for their team. They are also more likely to agree that they regularly receive recognition and praise, that someone cares about them as people, and that they care about their development. The more conversations managers have with their team members, the more engaged they become.

Weekly Check-Ins

The purpose of the Check-In is twofold. Firstly, it forms part of a team-building process. Secondly, it creates a working relationship that is positive and supportive that provides you with a management tool to develop your team members to their fullest potential. The scope of the sessions should change and evolve as the needs of the mentoring team members change. This is a free-form meeting for all the pressing issues, ideas and frustrations that do not fit neatly into status reports, email and other less personal and intimate mechanisms. Regular check-ins help managers stay in the loop, alerting them to potential problems at an early stage so that they can step into course correction before things go out of control.

First session

As a kick-starter to your first Check-In, ask the team member what their number one issue is. This helps break the ice and introduces your interest in work issues and the team members' opinion. You can then explain why the sessions are being held - to get to know each other better and explore their work issues. Next, try to exchange background information about yourself and briefly describe your work background and how you got your current position before discussing anything else. Ask the team member to do the same, and take the time to get to know each other. Try to understand the team members' personal situations and out-of-work stresses and obligations. Use your situation as an example. Being as frank as you can helps build rapport and encourages the team member to do the same. You are building a working relationship, and you want to easily, openly and honestly discuss any subject, no matter how contentious or troublesome in the future.

Experts say the frequency and duration of check-ins depend on how experienced the team members are. An inexperienced team member might need an hourly check-in every week, while it may be sufficient to check in with a more experienced team member once in two weeks.

Agenda suggestions

1.???? Icebreaker:?This is a basic but crucial step that experienced managers are usually adept at, opening such meetings with something directly related to work, such as their number one issue.

2.???? Open and close the meeting with positive remarks. Perhaps when you start, you can acknowledge the team member for something they have done well. Before wrapping up the meeting, don't forget to reaffirm the value they bring.

3.???? Their top 3 work issues.

4.???? Ask about projects and activities they are involved with.

5.???? Team building progress. Ask about team dynamics, how the team works together, and what the working relationships are like.

6.???? Update them about any new company, team or project-related news.

7.???? Include an informal performance review, such as saying, "I think you're doing a great job."

Different working styles

Recognise that team members have individual differences in terms of needs and desires, aim to exploit their strengths and challenge them with new tasks to capitalize on their strengths. Accept that there will be individual differences between team members (e.g., some team members require more encouragement, some more autonomy, others firmer standards, and still others need more task structure). Aim to understand their preferred working style and, most importantly, what they do best as this is an area you need to focus on in terms of achieving high engagement and job satisfaction; finally, but only if necessary, be prepared to address failings by talking about how to address them.

Make it a priority

Meetings are best held every week or at least every two weeks depending on the size of teams and their schedules. Depending on the team members' maturity and experience, the sessions may be more spread apart. Use this time with team building and your agenda in mind, namely that you are developing a team of professionals.

During your one-to-ones, you will learn valuable information about your team members that will help you to build a stronger and better team.

What you should not do

Do not cancel a session as this sends a wrong message that you do not take team member engagement and growth seriously.

Do not talk a lot: This interaction is being held for the team members' benefit. For that, they need to talk to you about work, the challenges they face and any other professional issues. Make sure you actively listen and ask questions to understand better what they are trying to say.?

Clarify Roles and Responsibilities

When team members know what their roles and responsibilities are, their mutual strengths, how they support the team, and how they contribute to the success and results of the team, this produces greater job satisfaction, commitment, and productivity. It removes the possibility of conflicts and disputes over ownership, helps avoid mistakes being made and assigns ownership of all items that the team manages. Everything then has an owner. It also identifies who has responsibility for an item and who has accountability for an item.

Responsibilities are shared, and several team members can be responsible for the same item. On the other hand, accountabilities are not shared; only one team member can be accountable for an item. An accountable team member is the owner of the item; they are the person who has decision-making authority about the item; they are the person who has the final say about it.

Completing a roles and responsibilities template is sometimes viewed as unnecessary or irrelevant. However, of all the team evaluation methods, it is by far the most significant and beneficial. Why?

1.???? It identifies ownership of everything that the team manages.

2.???? It identifies the decision-maker for every 'thing' the team manages.

3.???? It gives clarity to everyone as to whom to speak to about any problem or issue.

4.???? It separates a team member's responsibility from their accountabilities.

5.???? It dramatically reduces inter-team email traffic, as emails are only sent to people on a need-to-know basis.

Identify Team & co-worker strengths awareness.

Teams that are aware of each other's strengths relate more effectively to one another, boosting group cohesion and productivity.

Team strengths discussions

• Team members view each co-worker's template to understand their strengths, skills and areas of interest. They discuss how they can deploy these skills to tackle work challenges most effectively.

Strengths-based teams?

• Organisational leadership or team leaders create new cross-functional teams based on the strength skills and expertise available within the organisation.

Employ a strengths-based workplace for more engaged employees.

• Help employees do their best work.
• Individuals who use their strengths are six times more likely to be engaged at work, 8% more productive, and 15% less likely to quit their jobs.

Make sure each team member is doing what they do best

• This is what employees want the most. "60% of employees say the ability to do what they do best in a role is very important to them. This was ranked higher than 'significant increase in income' and stability and job security.?
• Organisations that establish processes that help employees do their best work lay a solid foundation for increased and continuous employee engagement – and increased productivity and profits.

Roles/Responsibilities Template Download

This is the Roles and Responsibilities template that is completed for each team member. As much information as possible should be included. After completion, review the template with the team member, then at a team meeting, review and compare all of the templates.

2. Quarterly Mentoring

Mentoring is a Coaching and Development session.

Mentoring sessions help managers understand what drives their employees and how they want to grow professionally; they are longer, more in-depth meeting with your team members that focuses on professional development. When held consistently, such meetings help build trust and allow team members to benefit from shared context; this boosts team member engagement and productivity.

The key to a good mentoring meeting is accepting that it is for the team members' benefit to be able to understand and identify their growth opportunities; you need to be an active listener where the team member does most of the talking and where you ask open questions. The meeting is about the team member's self-discovery and self-reflection and a way for you to get to know your team member better. You aim to understand the team members' strengths and the direction they hope to take so that you can help them with professional growth.

You need to establish a quarterly team member mentoring session

At these sessions, the team member being mentored should be encouraged to share information about their career path aspirations and professional development needs such as training and be given guidance, motivation, emotional support, and assistance with achieving their goals. It is also recommended that you follow a standard agenda.

Agenda suggestions

1.???? Open and close the meeting with positive remarks. Perhaps when you start, you can acknowledge the team member for something they have done well. Before wrapping up the meeting, don't forget to comment on the value they bring.

2.???? Team members strengths and weaknesses and professional development needs.

3.???? Training needs/progress.

4.???? Outline a development plan, keep track of it, and set aside time and resources to ensure the team member is allowed to reach their goals.

5.???? Follow-up:?If they brought up a challenge last week and you advised them how to manage it, ask them how it went.

6.???? Give any updates:?Update them about any new company, team or project-related news.

7.???? Include an informal performance review, such as saying, "I think you're doing a great job."

How are Mentoring sessions different from Check-ins?

Both mentoring sessions and check-ins are forms of continuous performance management and team member engagement. Mentoring meetings can be confused with check-ins because they seem similar. After all, both are scheduled meetings between manager and team member for feedback. There is, however, a crucial difference.

Mentoring is focused on the team member. It allows them to talk to their managers about their ideas, and problems, improving their skills or skill sets and their career trajectory. It is aimed at helping build trust between the manager and the team member to improve team member engagement.

A check-in is more business-like. Check-ins are less about the worker and more about the work. A check-in can be defined as a one-on-one meeting between a manager and team member that focuses on progress made on projects and assigned tasks, a kind of a status report on how things are going. Check-Ins allow managers to assess whether their team members are on the right track and, if they are not, give them feedback on how they can change direction.

Finally

Without a mutually understood agreement to speak freely, the relationship is unlikely to reach its full potential. Commit to honesty. Both parties should be prepared to offer frank feedback as appropriate, even if the feedback is critical. Listen and learn. Mentors, especially, need to remember that the relationship is not about them. These sessions should reveal team members preferred working styles and, as mentioned, professional aspirations. You are their role model, leading by example, remembering that your words and actions will create a lasting impression and be copied.

Be careful of language; for example, never criticise anyone even when the situation warrants it. Instead, I strongly suggest that you tell them that you have an observation to make, albeit negative. The word 'criticism' or being perceived as critical is negative; it turns people off; they stop listening and are unlikely to take on board what you have to say. If, for example, you have made the same mistake yourself at some time or exhibited the same poor behaviour that you have 'observed', say so; it builds trust and reiterates that we all learn from our mistakes. Language is important. Always try to follow a negative observation with a positive one.

If you are running a team-building process, use this time to explore how the team member is adjusting, any concerns they may have and any suggestions for improvement. Work to get them to take on increased ownership of the team-building process, its outcomes, and new working ways - new habits.

Mentoring Guide Download

A complete mentoring guide based on this article.

Millennials and the need for high-level engagement

(Born 1981 – 1996, Age in 2022, 26 to 39)

Millennials became the largest generation in the workforce in 2016. They are also the least engaged generation, with only 29% of millennials engaged in the workplace as compared to baby boomers (33%) and Gen X (32%).?But their engagement levels rise if their manager holds regular meetings with them.

Fifty-six million Millennials in the US (those aged 25 to 40 in 2021) worked or looked for work. More than the 53 million Generation Xers accounted for a third of the labour force. And it was well ahead of the 41 million Baby Boomers, who represented a quarter of the total. Millennials surpassed Gen Xers in 2016.

Millennial workers are more engaged when their managers provide frequent and consistent communication and feedback. 44% of millennials report that their manager holds regular meetings with them, while only 20% of millennials who do not meet regularly with their manager are engaged. This is similar to older generations; 43% of non-millennials who report their manager has regular meetings with them are engaged.

But Gallup found that only 21% of millennials and 18% of non-millennials meet with their manager every week. Most employees say they meet with their manager as infrequently as less than once a month (56% for millennials and 53% for non-millennials).

On the lookout for new jobs, 21% of millennials report changing jobs within the last year, which is more than three times the number of non-millennials who report the same. Millennials also show less willingness to stay in their current jobs. Half of the millennials, compared with 60% of non-millennials, strongly agree that they plan to work at their company one year from now. For businesses, this suggests that half of their millennial workforce doesn't see a future with them.

A Gallup study found that 60% of millennials say they are open to a different job opportunity; this is 15 percentage points higher than the percentage of non-millennial workers. Millennials also report the greatest willingness to act on better opportunities, with 36% reporting they will look for a job with a different organisation in the next 12 months if the job market improves, compared with 21% of non-millennials.

Communication, Communication, Communication

People leadership means being an excellent communicator and ensuring that the right message reaches the right person in the right way at the right time. Communication is not a one-person show. Just doing the talking does not help; you need to concentrate on listening, which takes mental effort.

Before speaking, consider

• Rehearsing in your head the message you want to tell.
• Putting yourself in the other person's shoes, how will they interpret the message?
• Is the message clear, concise and unlikely to be misinterpreted?
• If it is misinterpreted, how will you back out?
• Practice active listening, that is, concentrate on what you are hearing. What is it the other person is trying to tell you?
• Often if someone has a difficult thing to say to you, they will disguise it and not be clear or concise; you need to be on the lookout for this.
• If the message (such as an employee's termination) is sensitive or unpleasant, prepare a bulleted script for yourself to follow and stick to it.
• Be frank, direct, open and honest; the other person will pick this up and be reassured by it. It's a matter of not what you have to say but rather how you say it.
• Check that your messages have been received by asking the team member to explain their understanding of what you have said.
• Look directly at the other person that is, into their eyes. To do this and maintain a stare, look just above the bridge of their nose, between their eyes. This allows you to maintain a direct look for as long as you want. To the other person, it appears as if you are looking directly into their eyes. This is an especially effective negotiation tactic, and when delivering bad news, it gives you the upper hand.