Disengaged employees cost businesses billions in lost productivity, high turnover rates and decreased profits. What can leaders do to improve employee engagement?
While disengaged employees are themselves problematic resulting in lower outputs, poor quality work, absenteeism, sick leave, and high turnover for companies, their negative impact affects other employees, their teams, the organisation, and clients. Disengaged employees have a negative impact on morale, and hinder the effectiveness of team work and result in poor customer service which deteriorates a company’s brand and reputation.
There are many things leaders can do to improve employee engagement. Create a positive workplace culture, provide opportunities for growth and development through training opportunities, empower employees to make decisions, encourage work life balance and give recognition for the good work being done. Leaders are generally aware of these different aspects that need attention and if leaders were getting all of these things right then engagement levels would be higher.
So what is it that leaders should be giving attention to ? Leaders need to give attention to their own behaviour and how they treat their employees. I believe that when leaders show up from an empowered and authentic space, and treat employees with humanity and respect they can encourage the best out of others and create spaces where all flourish, leading to the desired outcomes, where employees are thriving, feeling more invested in their work and taking personal accountability.
One way leaders can achieve this is by creating a Nancy Kline Thinking Environment. For leaders to create the Thinking Environment they must embody the system of ten components Nancy Kline developed that speaks to how we treat people in engagements. The ask is for leaders to shift from the theoretical understanding to practical, lived way of being that employees experience and feel. And it is in felt experience that changes engagement.
Learn how to create a Thinking Environment and start fostering a culture of engagement that accesses the full potential of others. Sign up for our program that teachers leaders how to create a Thinking Environment.