You are dedicated to leading your team to success.
But how?
I am going to tell you the things that employees really care about. I am going to give you practical tips on how you can impact the success of your team.
Here’s the secret – happiness is the most important ingredient for success. If people are happy at work, they will be motivated and inspired to achieve success for the companies that they work for. It’s smart business – a happy employee is much more likely to go the extra mile to make their work not just good but excellent and is less likely to search for a new job and leave.
These are the five core elements that you can implement to ensure that your employees enjoy coming to work and fulfill their potential as team members:
Money alone is not enough
Knowledge is everything
I am master of my destiny
Pride in the Purpose
Learning and Developing
Money Alone Is Not Enough
Of course, the first reward everyone seeks at work is to be paid well. But more pay doesn’t necessarily mean more happiness. What is critical is that people perceive that their pay is fair and that they are valued and paid in line with their worth. But recognizing employees for their work and expressing that to them is as important as the paycheck itself.
Manager’s tip: This is really easy. Tell people when they have done a great job. Give them credit. We have forgotten the power of praising
Knowledge is Everything
First, make sure that employees have the information and training they need to do their jobs, or they will quickly lose confidence. Train your employees and properly onboard them. But this is just the first part.
Second, you must institute a level of transparency around information. A lack of information can create a tense atmosphere because team members worry that decisions will be foisted on them without any warning or their participation. If information is openly shared, people will feel that they are being trusted with the information; they will want to engage more and will feel that management trusts them and sees them as valued members of the team.
Manager’s tip: Have lots of open door meetings. Hold lots of town halls. Have weekly or bi-weekly q+a’s. Communication is key here to be sure information is flowing both up and down the organization.
I am master of my own destiny
Managers have to create a culture where individuals feel trusted to take responsibility for their work and where their input is valued. Team members must feel that they are a key part of the decision making process, that their ideas matter, and that their suggestions will be integrated into strategy and execution. How do we create a culture of empowerment?
Performance reviews is a great place to look at to learn how to do this right and how to do this wrong. On one side, a manager gives a team member, a list of things that they want to be done in the year ahead and then revisits that list after a year, simply crossing off which expectations have been met and which have not. On the other side, a manager asks the team member, “How has the past year been? What have you done well? What can you do better? What more support could I have given you? What more results would you have ideally liked?
Manager’s tip: Create a new script. Listen to everyone’s views. Allow team members to drive the conversation, you will get immediate buy in and increased collaboration.
Pride in the Purpose
When somebody is going to work – they need to feel that they are doing something worthwhile. Every individual in an organization needs to understand their role in the greater part. There is a famous story of JFK when he visited NASA and was shaking hands with all of the employees and asking them what their role was. When he came to one of the cleaners JFK asked, “What do you do?” And the man answered. “I am putting a man on the moon.” When people understand that they are valued, that they are part of a team of people working to accomplish a goal, they begin to have pride in their work. Really good companies define their purpose and everyone works towards that purpose in their individual role.
Manager’s tip: Communicate the organization’s purpose, live that purpose on each team, and individuals will feel that sense of pride and will be willing to go that extra mile.
Learning and Developing
There are two main areas that contribute to people feeling satisfied at work on an everyday basis: first, they need to feel that their organization is helping their career and second, their relationship with their manager. 85% of people who leave their jobs attribute it to dissatisfaction with their relationship with their manager.
Manager’s Tip: Be sure that you are providing opportunities for career development that are meaningful for each team member. Proactively develop relationships with your team. People want to know that you care about them. When people feel supported and understood, they are more likely to stay engaged and motivated at work. We have nothing of greater value than our people. High levels of employee engagement is the key to unlock organizational success. Happy employees equal a solid, successful and long-lasting business.
