Complete Story
09/14/2017
Get Them With You
Source: PIASC Weekly Update, September 11, 2017
Here are tips to help you re-engage your employees:
- Ask questions. Disengaged employees should be heard and encouraged in open forums and office meetings. Asking questions helps share their views and opinions, which could hold the key to your next big idea.
- Have faith. People want to succeed; no one wants to be mediocre. The way to deal with disengaged employees is having empathy and taking their concerns seriously.
- Berating won’t work. If your employees aren’t performing as well as you had hoped, try to find out what’s holding them back.
- Set goals together. Get their attention back on track by mutually agreeing on deadlines and goals, instead of just dictating terms to them. Coach them on ways they can achieve the goal, and brainstorm ways they can contribute. You’ll soon reap the benefits of the time you’ve invested.
- Appreciate them. Even if disengaged employees are taking baby steps on the way to improving, appreciation from the boss is always welcomed. It brings with it the realization that they are a valued part of the team.
- Deliver opportunities. Monotonous work is a primary reason people disengage. Give them new projects to work on, or, better still, encourage them to initiate something. This will foster a sense of ownership and belonging.
- Try flexible working hours. Productivity decreases as the workday wears on, so overtime hours could be detrimental. In contrast, being flexible—the option to work from home or having customized working hours—can improve employee relationships and productivity.
- Showcase hidden talents. A graphic designer might be a fantastic singer, or an accountant could be a hilarious standup comedian. By hosting monthly showcases as a stress buster from the daily grind, no matter how small the scale, you show that you care about the person as a whole.
- Encourage mistakes. We often stop short of a great idea because it “might be a mistake.” So be it. Learn, and do better next time.
