We like to think of employee engagement in organizational terms; however, if we're honest, an employee's direct manager has the most influence when creating an atmosphere that breeds engagement.
There are a few tips that leaders can do daily to help engage workers, even during this chaotic time. Use these six guidelines to create the right experiences that foster employee engagement.
Greet your people with a smile every day. - Yes, even if you're not a morning person.
Say thank you and goodbye at the end of the day. - If your end-of-day doesn't correspond with theirs, that's okay, find whatever works.
Catch them doing things right. - I like to say, we traditionally do a great job of catching people doing "things" wrong, but we don't do a good enough job of catching them doing "things" right.
Ask them about themselves and their families, if appropriate. - Sometimes a simple "how's it going" at the right time can spark insight you weren't aware of before.
Ask them about the job. - Asking them things like, "How's the job going? What's working? Where are you getting stuck?
Finally, and most importantly, ask them, "is there anything you need from me and/or what can I do to help?"
Even if you're not in the same location or manage a virtual team, you can still do these six things via text, email, or a phone call or two. Show your people that you care about them; it's the easiest way to build engagement. I promise, if you do these six things consistently every day for the next 30 business days, you'll have a more engaged, happy, and productive team.