Stuck in a rut?

3 ways to re-engage your workforce.

I had a conversation recently with a business owner who was frustrated. I'll call her "Sue" to maintain confidentiality and to honor the beginning phases of a training engagement. She shared that staff morale was low and the quality of the work was not up to par. I heard the voice of someone who was at wits end but, more importantly, willing to find a solution. To me, the latter was the best part of the conversation!

Sue was perceptive about what was going on in her organization and wasn't willing to ignore the problems that were surfacing. After all, her goal is to deliver quality service to the community she serves and to make her employees feel valued. But somehow, they were stuck in a rut and she was eager to get them out.

So when Sue asked the question "How do we move from where we are now to where we need to be?", I shared 3 ways to re-engage her workforce:

1. Re-iterate the mission of the company. Remind staff of why the company exists and what customers should expect as a result of the product or service being offered. It is often necessary to reground employees on what they are striving for when they come to work everyday.
2. Relate staff roles/jobs to the mission of the company. Employees become invested when they connect their job to the mission of the company and can see themselves in the big picture. This answers the question "Why does my work matter?" and once employees understand this question, it can drive them to higher production and quality of output.
3. Ask the million dollar question. The lack of quality work in Sue's organization may not be the result of a lackadaisical staff. Perhaps there is a void in knowledge, understanding or resources. Therefore, it is important for Sue to ask her staff "How can I support you?" or "What do you need from me in order to be successful?" Leaders may be afraid to ask these questions for fear of the answer, either because they don't think they can deliver on the need or that they don't have the right answers to address the employee concerns. The best thing to do is ask because the question will open up dialogue and can create the environment for leaders and staff to come together to create solutions!