Did you know that only a fraction of your staff bring their “A game” to work every day? This number is about one in five, according to companies such as Aon Hewitt and the Gallup Organization. The rest? At best they are bringing their B or C games to work—at worst, their main goal is to keep from getting fired.
Getting into the minds of your employees to gain the information needed to increase engagement can be as simple as having the following conversations.
Getting into the minds of your employees to gain the information needed to increase engagement can be as simple as having the following conversations.
Conversation 1: Feedback. There are two types of feedback that fall under this conversation. First, give praise where praise is due. Studies have shown that a vast majority of employees do not feel appreciated enough for the job they do. Praise, it seems, is a scarce commodity in the workplace. So if your staff is doing a good job, be sure to let them know.
Conversely, one of the key factors in employee engagement is the ability to have your say. Be receptive to your staffs’ feedback. Who knows, they may just come up with a brilliant idea that makes a huge difference for the team or company.
Conversation 2: Objectives. Most performance issues stem from a disconnect between what the manager perceives as meeting objectives and what the staff member perceives as meeting them. To drastically reduce performance issues, managers must both clearly define and articulate expectations. Yet few do.
Your employees need to know what they must do to be successful in their jobs, and how that success will be measured. And you need to have a clearly defined yardstick by which to objectively measure performance. Aligning their expectations with yours will result in less frustration and anxiety on both your parts.
Conversation 3: Underlying Motivators. This conversation helps to uncover those intrinsic factors—currencies of choice—that science has shown to be much more highly motivating than extrinsic ones, such as pay and benefits. By tapping into each individual’s currencies of choice, you will help uncover what they need to go the extra mile. Conversely, once they do, they need to be recognized appropriately for it. The old adage, “Praise in public, correct in private” is only half true. Many people don’t respond well to public recognition.
Identify the drivers of each individual staff member to unlock productivity and unleash potential. Then recognize them appropriately when they do go that extra mile.
Source: Kim Seeling Smith is an international human resources expert and author of the newly released book, Mind Reading for Managers: 5 FOCUSed Conversations for Greater Employee Engagement and Productivity. With her expansive knowledge of human capital practices in today’s market, Smith helps companies build healthy work environments and increase employee engagement and productivity in our digitally connected, globally oriented world.
Conversely, one of the key factors in employee engagement is the ability to have your say. Be receptive to your staffs’ feedback. Who knows, they may just come up with a brilliant idea that makes a huge difference for the team or company.
Conversation 2: Objectives. Most performance issues stem from a disconnect between what the manager perceives as meeting objectives and what the staff member perceives as meeting them. To drastically reduce performance issues, managers must both clearly define and articulate expectations. Yet few do.
Your employees need to know what they must do to be successful in their jobs, and how that success will be measured. And you need to have a clearly defined yardstick by which to objectively measure performance. Aligning their expectations with yours will result in less frustration and anxiety on both your parts.
Conversation 3: Underlying Motivators. This conversation helps to uncover those intrinsic factors—currencies of choice—that science has shown to be much more highly motivating than extrinsic ones, such as pay and benefits. By tapping into each individual’s currencies of choice, you will help uncover what they need to go the extra mile. Conversely, once they do, they need to be recognized appropriately for it. The old adage, “Praise in public, correct in private” is only half true. Many people don’t respond well to public recognition.
Identify the drivers of each individual staff member to unlock productivity and unleash potential. Then recognize them appropriately when they do go that extra mile.
Source: Kim Seeling Smith is an international human resources expert and author of the newly released book, Mind Reading for Managers: 5 FOCUSed Conversations for Greater Employee Engagement and Productivity. With her expansive knowledge of human capital practices in today’s market, Smith helps companies build healthy work environments and increase employee engagement and productivity in our digitally connected, globally oriented world.