WHY ISN'T MY TEAM MOTIVATED? Investing in the Power of Employee Engagement

Corporate culture and employee engagement are all the rage. And for good reason.

The biggest expense as you grow your business will be your team investment. If they aren’t aligned, engaged and motivated your investment will go down the drain. Here’s the thing, turnover is just bad for business. It’s costly, time-consuming, and can harm morale.

Keeping good people isn’t always just based on the salary you pay them. In fact, studies have shown that employees with high job satisfaction are generally more productive, engaged and loyal to their companies. 

 So why is all of this important and how do you create it?

 Clear direction 

I’ve talked about this a lot. It’s the vision, the reason for your company’s existence. It’s important that everyone knows where you’re headed, but also how their role plays a part in the overall success.

Create a culture of feedback

I don’t know how many times I’ve talked to people who have no idea where they stand. Feedback can be positive as in a job well done, but sometimes it also includes straight up honesty. Don’t assume your people are mind readers. Take the time, in fact schedule it, to spend time with your people (contractors included) to share feedback. 

Never underestimate the power of recognition

This can be a tough one as we don’t always know what people will respond to, but there’s no harm in asking right? What would meaningful recognition mean to them? Do they want a private note in a job well done, public recognition in front of their peers or maybe a little extra time off after completing a big project? The key is frequency. Even the biggest awards or raises 'wear out' in less than a year, with most employees responding better to small doses every few days.

Work-life balance is imperative

 Burnout is real. The truth is your high performers will burn the midnight oil, but I would suggest that isn’t healthy in the long run for them or you as a leader. It will lead to resentment and a loss of productivity. The better question to ask is capacity. Do they need more support or a better understanding of priorities? Why are they’re struggling to get everything completed during work hours? Does your company have enough resources, are there unrealistic deadlines, too much volume or lack of training to do the job efficiently?

 Share the good, the bad and the ugly

Transparency is key. It’s okay and frankly encouraged to share not only the big wins, but also areas of improvement and straight up challenges. This is your team and you want a vested interest here. Besides, some of the best ideas will come from people and places you might expect it from the least. The point is, you want people who will celebrate the wins, and circle the wagons when things get tough. Isn’t that what company culture is all about anyway?

 Any employer worth their salt knows that engaged employees outperform those who aren’t. The more engaged and happy your team is at work, the more likely they are to be an advocate for your business when it comes to customers, family, friends, and prospective employees. Isn't it amazing how investing in your people’s happiness can actually lead to brand loyalty too?

How do you motivate your team?