Strategies for a supportive engagement with employees
Employees who connect deeply with their organization’s mission and values are more likely to give their best work. In other words, organizational success directly correlates with employee engagement. Employees are more likely to experience burnout and frustration when they don’t feel seen, heard, and appreciated — while the best work environments strike up a healthy balance between productivity and honoring the people that make it possible. Consider these strategies for creating a positive and engaging work environment that is welcoming and supportive of the team.
Be open to input — Despite the pressure to act quickly and decisively in uncertain times, remember that it is important to involve your team when there are several potential possibilities and outcomes to a decision. Pausing for contemplation alongside your team members is a simple, reflective exercise that saves time and frustration in the long run. Create safe spaces to explore and discuss important topics. Consider multiple angles and perspectives, and don’t forget to act on them!
Use collaborative candor — Strong interpersonal connections require patience and cooperation. When you are direct, honest, and clear about what is needed to meet objectives, it can be both a frank and respectful process. Using “I statements,” sticking to facts rather than judgment, and being clear, specific, and sincere with requests will help maintain harmony and prevent your team from feeling slighted, controlled, or mistreated.
Course-correct when necessary — Keep an open mind and look to your team for ways to respond to change in realtime whenever possible. Don’t fall into the trap of dependency on your own rigid plans which can often be full of tasks that change by the time you get to them or become irrelevant due to change. Ongoing learning and adaptability are as important as ever and your team members have valuable insight into what will and won’t work. Be intentional and give them the support and guidance they need to stay nimble and allow room for things to adjust.
Coach and cheerlead the team — Showing genuine interest and caring authentically about what is important to your team will help you motivate them in meaningful ways. You can still be explicitly clear and realistic about expectations, but ensure you take the time to make connections between your team’s needs and their tasks as part of the bigger picture. This will nurture engagement and accountability to one another. Don’t shy away from discussing the inevitability of disappointment and do things that keep the team smiling. Praise each other and facilitate discussions about the future and what staying the course through tough times looks like.
Celebrate — Whether you win big or small, honor the things that go right with your team. Celebrate lessons learned as a way of seeing how growth happens through trials and difficulty. Celebration puts our minds in a position of gratitude, allowing us to enjoy being in the moment, rather than only focusing on what we have yet to achieve. Recognizing how far we’ve come also serves as a motivating boost for what’s next.
Remember that there will always be rewards waiting when you aim to improve!
Jolene Thrash is the Owner of JMT Consulting and provides professional consultancy for organization development, human resources and people development. She is a certified Human Resources Professional with a Master’s of Professional Studies in Organization Development & Change. Jolene can be contacted at jolene@ jmtconsulting.org or visit her website, www.jmtconsulting.org.