Achieve Your Goals
CULTURE
A powerfully connected culture where people feel safe, that they belong and they matter
Employee Engagement
With the dismal reports on employee engagement, the question on the minds of many leaders is “How can I engage my team?”
On average, only a third of employees are actively engaged in their work, happy to go the extra mile while 16% are at the opposite end of the scale: actively disengaged. That leaves 51% of employees who are just there. Yes, they show up on time and do what they have to do but when it comes to innovation, solution-finding or putting in extra hours to meet a big deadline, you can’t count on them.
Low employee engagement is wasted potential.
When you consider that your people are the walking, talking adverts for your company, it’s easy to see how the way they behave with customers today has a direct impact on your bottom line tomorrow. Many of today’s leaders are frustrated that growth is slow because they know their workers have the capacity to do much more. We all know that so much more could be achieved - all the way to bottom line results - if everyone on the team was focused and committed.
However, for most leaders, the reality is an uphill struggle trying to cajole, incentivise and coerce employees to get more from them, while fighting an ongoing battle with apathy, low output, complaining, high staff turnover and sick leave - problems that keep good leaders banging their heads against the proverbial brick wall in exasperation.
So what makes the difference? How can you get more from your people?
Engagement = a combination of the right state of mind and the right conditions that motivate
the employee to do as much as possible for the business.
People invest time and energy into what makes them feel good
If you ask people if they are ‘engaged at work’, many will answer ‘what do you mean?’ But ask them if they are ‘happy at work’ or ‘happy in their job’ and you’ll get a real answer. Employees aren’t interested in being ‘engaged’ or ‘disengaged’; they are interested in feeling happy. Importantly, a happy employee is much more willing to invest their time and energy into your business.
What makes someone genuinely happy at work?
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Engaged employees generate 43% more revenue than disengaged ones
MacLeod Report: Engaging for Success
While we all have different ideas on what’s important to us, we share the same basic human needs. And the fundamental truth is we feel good when our needs are being met.
Tony Robbins defines the six universal human needs as:
Certainty – assurance that you can avoid pain and gain pleasure, safety, security
Variety – the need for the unknown, change, new stimuli, adventure
Significance – feeling unique, of value, important, special or needed, independence
Connection/Love – a strong feeling of closeness or union with someone or something
Growth – an expansion of capacity, capability or understanding
Contribution – a sense of service and focus on helping, giving to and supporting others
The first four needs are defined as the needs of the personality and the last two are the fulfilment needs, or needs of the spirit. Employers are usually most interested in seeing their employees pay attention to the last two, growth and contribution, but don’t realise that the first four must be adequately met before the last two become a priority for the employee.
Humans have a (subconscious) inner drive to get these needs met, it’s not a choice. When the workplace environment gives your people certainty, variety, significance and connection, they will naturally want to get their needs for growth and contribution met too. That’s when the magic happens; happy, engaged employees who want to do meaningful work, to collaborate with others, to achieve, to take the lead, and to build their own and the company’s future.
Meeting the 6 human needs in the workplace: How?
Inspiring others to engage requires a self confident, optimistic leader who connects with people in a way that’s meaningful to them. High EQ leadership connects with people across all levels and is a major factor in the creation of the right environment for people to get their needs met. The environment you create directly affects the how well people thrive in, and contribute to your organisation. The more they contribute, the more successful your organization will be.
So what can you do to meet the 6 human needs of the people in your organisation?
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Engaged employees in the UK take an average of 2.69 sick days per year versus 6.19 for the disengaged.
Here are a few ideas that you can use to meet people's human needs in your organisation today:
Certainty:
Treat people fairly and honestly and pay them well enough that they can cover their living expenses and live a good, nourishing life feeling safe and secure. In your communication, make it obvious that they have a place and a valuable part to play in the business.
Variety:
Give people opportunities to do new and interesting things within the scope of their job. Find out what’s important and invigorating to them and include that in their work where possible.
Significance:
Listen well to their opinions and ideas, empower them to take responsibility and acknowledge their achievements. Treat them in such a way that they feel valued and appreciated.
Connection/Love:
Get to know and understand your people. Value their individuality and build on their strengths. Always treat them with respect, understanding and compassion.
Growth:
Offer them training to further their professional development in line with their goals, desires and ambitions within the company. Set challenges to stretch and grow them.
Contribution:
Encourage people to share their ideas and take the lead on projects that interest them. Invite them to contribute the best of themselves.
Naturally, the place where you get all your needs met becomes incredibly valuable to you. When you find such a place, you will do all you can to preserve and sustain it – because it sustains you.
Make it a priority to meet the six human needs of your people and you will create a work environment where your team are enthusiastic, committed and flexible, giving maximum contribution and enjoying maximum satisfaction.
Engaged employees are 87% less likely to leave an organisation than the disengaged.
To discuss how to do this in your organisation, get in touch below.
An organisation with highly engaged employees achieves financial performance four times greater than an organisation with poor engagement.
