According to Harvard Business Review, highly engaged teams are two to three times more productive than other teams.
Many leaders want to engage their team, but just don’t know where to start.
So here’s five everyday actions to get you going.
1. Say hello to everyone in your team
What to do
Walk around and simply say hello to each person in your team, addressing them by their name, pausing long enough to make eye contact with them.
If you work remotely, you can do this by joining a call a few minutes early and saying hello to anyone else who joins early. Or by briefly calling a few people each day.
Why it works
Feeling seen at work engages us. Knowing that your boss remembers you helps us feel seen. It also creates an opportunity for people to stop and ask you a question that might be on their mind.
2. Ask for feedback
What to do
Ask your team for candid feedback on your and the team’s performance. A simple approach is to ask for one thing you should keep doing, one thing you should stop doing and one thing you should start doing.
You could do this in a team meeting, when walking around saying hello or via an e-mail or survey.
Why it works
Feeling heard at work engages us. When people see you’re interested in their perspective, they will feel heard and valued.
3. Give coaching advice
What to do
Provide a team member with some practical advice on how they could take something they’re doing from better to best. It’s important to do it with an unambiguous motivation to help them improve. It’s not about being critical. It’s about being helpful.
Why it works
We seem to be hard-wired for improvement. Knowing your boss is invested in you becoming your best self helps us feel supported. And like we can improve.
4. Share a warts and all update on organisational performance
What to do
Give your team a transparent update on what’s going on around the team and the organisation. Don’t sugar coat the bad news. And don’t shy away from the great news.
Why it works
We all want to feel like we’re ‘in the know’. This helps us feel like we belong. And it provides contextual information that will help people make better decisions in their work.
5. Write a blog article on why your team’s work matters
What to do
Write a piece, explaining your thoughts on why the team’s work matters. And how it makes a difference for your clients and stakeholders. Be as practical as possible, but sharing concrete examples (e.g. client stories).
Why it works
Having a sense of purpose in our work builds engagement.
Where to next?
- One-on-ones with team members are a great place to provide coaching: download our free Guide to Great One-on-ones
- Read about the importance of feedback
- Read more about purpose
