The below content was excerpted from the Insperity Blog, a great source of information for business and HR best practices.
We all know that happy employees are more likely to stay with the company, take good care of customers and do what their boss needs. Sometimes it may feel like developing engaged employees is impossible. However, satisfied employees don’t have to be mythical creatures, sighted as frequently as unicorns in the forest.
With care and hard work, you can create a workplace environment that supports employee happiness. And it may not be as difficult as you think.
The key is recognizing the difference between being a manager and being a leader. A manager plans, organizes, assigns and followsup. A leader influences, motivates and encourages.
Here are some leadership tips to ensure your team is happy, motivated and engaged:
- Pay attention
It’s hard to overemphasize the need for managers to show concern for their employees as people. That means taking the time to ask about their holidays and families, their hobbies and interests. It also means giving them a chance to get to know you, but that doesn’t mean you have to reveal anything deeply personal.
When there’s too much work to be done in too few hours, it can seem like taking time for personal interaction is wasted energy. However, knowing your team members, their interests and stresses both inside and outside the office can be a powerful ally in helping you find the best ways to encourage and influence them to optimum productivity.
Managers who make employees feel their boss cares about them as more than a cog in the wheel engenders loyalty and motivates employees to work harder.
- Meet them where they are
We all bring our socialization from childhood into the workplace. Recognize your natural style and adjust to what each employee needs.
Analyze each team member’s natural style. Are they an introvert or extrovert? Good at one-on-one interaction? Naturally gifted at customer service or numbers or presentations?
By understanding each person, you can help him or her commit to business goals in a way that fits their abilities and motivations.
By playing to their strengths, you are more likely to engage their hearts, not just their minds. Employees who are truly engaged are less likely to find roadblocks to the success of their projects, to go the extra mile when it’s needed.
- Communicate expectations
Want your team to roar past their goals? Explain the big picture, why they are doing what they are doing and set clear expectations. Your employees need to understand how they fit into the company, why their job is important and what they must do to help the company reach its goals..
After setting clear expectations, hold people accountable by checking in weekly or monthly to see if goals are being met. Don’t forget to recognize success publicly and coach privately if there’s a problem.
Be positive as much as possible during these communications. People want to work for positive people, especially when facing the challenges that naturally come about in any project.
- Be open and available
Servant leaders make themselves available to help employees when needed.
Say someone missed a goal because they had trouble getting the right data. By checking in regularly with your staff, you’ll be able to troubleshoot, encourage when it’s needed, answer questions and generally help your staff accomplish their short and long-term goals.
If you are in the trenches with them, you’ll be seen as a respected team leader rather than a distant tyrant. You’ll also be able to keep emotional commitment high and nurture employees’ great ideas at the source. Remember to be open to feedback, too.
Finally, get out of the way and let your employees shine. Give them opportunities to position themselves as subject matter experts.
By giving your employees high-profile growth opportunities, you make them feel valued and appreciated. Lead from the heart, invest your heart in your people and let them grow along with you. You’ll create relationships that can benefit you both for a lifetime.
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