A team is best accustomed to a work environment when it sees the boss roaming around the office, checking up on work, and the people in general.
As an employee, that seems to be the only indication that everything is alright. Things are functioning as they should, all is fine in the world.
But this year, all of that changed.
This year the average employee had to be away from their teams, their workplace, and their boss.
You and I both can agree that that has taken a heavy toll on all the employees, especially since employee engagement has come down to almost zero.
The question is – can we still put a bandaid on this? One thing is for sure, we simply can not tie a bow around it to make this situation less morose.
What if I told you the solution to these dips in employee engagement is, well, — you – the leader of the herd?
Your team looks up to you for acceptance and validation that forms the basis for how they conduct themselves at work.
And if that sounds like a lot of busy work for the managers and leaders out there, I can tell you that you can accomplish this by simply being available to your team.
I think being more accessible to the team can help them a lot right now.
Well, here is everything that being accessible to your team can do for employee engagement, and consequently, their wellbeing:
Strengthen Employee Morale
Employee morale is the driving force behind the team’s productive performance. When you make time for your employees, they feel validated. How? Simply because that is how they feel seen.
They feel their efforts being recognized and their work being a great contribution to the whole organization. Simple things like checking-in with your teammates can bring them peace of mind and reassurance that their employer/leader cares about them.
Motivate Them To Do And Be Better
When you are more accessible to the team, it gives the team a sense that they are working towards the right goals and that you share as much vested interest in those goals as they do. This reassurance is enough for the team to know that the whole organization is working towards the same collective vision.
Currently, you might be seeing a lot of people add “working at organizations with a collaborative culture” as their primary career goals. This is true for every professional – every person wants to work in an environment where they can derive motivation and inspiration from the people around them.
Help With Employee Retention
Being available to your employees means that you are always there to hear them out and help them out of sticky situations. And, when anybody has that, life just becomes easier. A manager who is willing to listen is the best manager one could ask for.
This kind of a moral support system is important when we talk about employee retention. A leader who understands how to create a supportive and welcoming environment can get a team that is willing to stay.
Create Harmonious Virtual Workspace
If the boss indulges in communication with the employees it means that communication between the team members is not only permissible but it is encouraged. If you do encourage communication at work, even virtually, then you are definitely a boss who is leading by example.
If your team is working remotely, they would benefit a lot by knowing that you are online. In fact, if you regularly video call your team to hear about their updates and give them quick feedback, you are doing an amazing job.
Make The World A Better Place
If your employees are in a harmonious work environment, if they are getting all your attention, and have the means to communicate with you, they are indeed a happy bunch. And if you are able to lead your team in such an impressive way through such a bad time, then hats off to you.
They will take this mood to bed, to their families, and their pets, and before you know it, you are making people happy left and right, one employee at a time.
Final Words
Employee engagement is something that has been dropped off the leader’s plate during these tough times. But if you do the most minimal job of simply being there for your employees, your job is already half done.
So let us stop sulking and focussing on the negatives, and just be more available and more accessible to the whole team from now on.
Author Bio: Vartika Kashyap, Chief Marketing Officer at Proof Hub
Photo Credit: Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
