According to a recent Gallup report, only 36% of U.S. employees are engaged in their work, and a staggering 15% are actively disengaged. Many of those who report being disengaged also report being poorly managed.
In my experience coaching many entrepreneurs in leading their companies to success, I’ve seen time and time again that strong leadership teams with the right management strategies have the power to inspire and engage employees. And it takes engaged employees to drive growth and company viability into the future. So, how can you build a team of engaged leaders who lead by example to inspire the rest of your organization?
Managing For Engagement
Effective management that encourages engagement starts with clarity. Leaders should never leave employees guessing what they need to accomplish; instead, they must give absolute clear direction and then make sure employees have the tools, resources and training they need to follow it. Employees can’t engage with their work if they don’t have what they need to get it done.
However, once employees are well-equipped for the task at hand, leaders have to let go. They must get out of the way and give employees the space and freedom to develop their own strategies for reaching goals. Creative and innovative solutions are the ones that lead companies into the future. Don’t forget to reward employee achievements along the way to encourage future engagement.
W. Edwards Deming famously stated that “every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets.” In other words, if you have disengaged employees, your leadership team is designed for active disengagement. However, if you flip the script, you can create a culture that’s powered by happier, healthier and more innovative team members.
To ensure your company’s leadership team leads by example with a management strategy that inspires engagement and growth, start with these steps.
1. Drive clarity from top to bottom.
How often do you tell your employees exactly where the company’s going and how you plan to get there? You need to share a documented, crystallized vision that’s updated and released at least once a quarter. Make sure your core values are clearly documented alongside your vision as well. This will enable your leaders to talk about your business model and help you steer your ship in the right direction.
It also removes any confusion for employees and gives them an opportunity to reflect to see whether they share these same values and want to put their efforts into running in the same direction as the company. If so, great: They’re more likely to engage. But if not, it’s still a win for both the employee and the company because the employee can seek more meaningful work, and the company can find someone more aligned with its vision and direction.
2. Put the right people in the right seats.
You must build your organization’s culture with intent. That means actively hiring, firing, reviewing, rewarding and recognizing personnel based on your company’s core values. This will be especially important in your leadership team, as they’ll need to demonstrate your core values in action to ensure other employees do, too, but you also need to consider personnel throughout the organization. You will want to hire proactively if workers become overwhelmed (a quick path to disengagement), but you also need to ensure you hire with intent so that employees are aligned with your values.
3. Run your business on data.
I know data can sound overbearing for many, but people love to win. What gets measured gets done, and if you’re not measuring, you’ll never know if you’re winning or losing. Data, both positive and negative, can do a lot to boost engagement from the top down. Equip leaders with clear data so they can reward teams who meet and exceed goals or develop motivational strategies for those that need an extra push to make it over the finish line.
4. Set 90-day goals.
People want to see traction. If they don’t, they’re likely to become bored or complacent. Help your leadership team set short-term goals that add up to longer-term accomplishments. You might have one-year company goals, but you can break them up into 90-day stepping-stones within departments. A 90-day time frame gives everyone clearer, more achievable priorities and helps people see more wins in a shorter time. It also gives people the opportunity to come up for air, check in and celebrate accomplishments before diving back in for the next 90-day period.
5. Arrange regular pulse meetings.
At every level of your company, your teams should be meeting once a week and going over their priorities and numbers. Similarly, your leaders need to meet weekly, quarterly and annually. Systematic meetings ensure that everyone’s to-do list items get addressed and solved. Without these touchpoints, you’re bound to start losing momentum — and engagement.
The relationship between good leadership and employee engagement is direct. If you find your organization stagnant and filled with disengaged employees, look to your leadership team to inspire growth. With a clear vision, cohesive culture, achievable goals and frequent check-ins, you can boost engagement and keep the momentum going.
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