5 Behaviors of Highly Engaged Employees
January 16, 2024
How we choose to live our lives greatly impacts our attitude, our relationships, and our success at work and in life. Our job satisfaction level impacts workplace productivity, physical and mental health, and personal relationships. Employees, themselves, control 30% of the factors that account for their outlook and productivity. Let’s look at 5 actions individuals can take to increase their own workplace engagement and satisfaction.
- Be aware of your own values and needs, apply for jobs at right-fit companies. If you value integrity and collaboration, look for an organization that is known for teamwork and good customer service. Avoid those with a bad reputation.
- Be honest about your strengths and weaknesses and explore right-fit jobs. Look for positions that leverage your strengths. Avoid situations in which your weaknesses are apt to cause frequent stumbling. Using your strengths for 80% of your workday yields very high engagement, satisfaction, and productivity.
- Build relationships with your colleagues. Get to know each other during breaks and lunch. Offer to help others with their projects and ask others for ideas that could enhance your work. A friendly collaborative workplace experience increases results and personal satisfaction.
- Embrace accountability. Monitor your progress towards workplace goals. When you encounter an obstacle or a setback research alternative approaches and ask others for their input. Appreciate those who praise your progress, point out shortfalls kindly, and support you in overcoming challenges.
- Be proactive. Speak up when you foresee a problem, you’re aware of customer dissatisfaction, or a colleague is down. Take the initiative to resolve small issues so they don’t turn into serious bottlenecks.
When individuals seek out right-fit jobs and take the initiative to add value at work, their intentional behaviors enhance their commitment and enrich others’ workplace experience. What can you do this week to strengthen employee engagement, job satisfaction, and organizational results?
For weeks, Mary had been frustrated with frequently occurring delays in shipping. During her one-on-one with her supervisor, she finally told him what was going on. He listened, asked questions, and said he would look into it. She left the meeting feeling encouraged. Maybe this situation would finally get resolved. A week later, her supervisor started their one-on-one by asking “So, what do you want to talk about today?” He didn’t mention what he had learned about the problem in shipping. “Of course not!,” she thought. “Nothing is going to change.” So, she sadly replied, “Nothing really. Everything’s fine.” Sometimes employees stop talking because experience has taught them that speaking up doesn’t make any difference. One-on-ones are an opportunity to change that. Give the employee a voice in what gets discussed. Help them address bottlenecks. Follow-up on your to dos from the conversation. It can be as simple as: “Last week we talked about the shipping problem. I checked into it, and here’s what I found out. A possible solution would be this .... How do think that might work? ... What other ideas do you have?” The message is clear: I heard you. I remembered. What you have to say matters. And when employees believe their concerns and ideas matter, they’re more likely to keep speaking up. Conversation is Where Leadership Happens™ What Workplace Conversation Are You Struggling With? Maybe an employee has stopped talking. Maybe you’re dealing with accountability, conflict, attendance, performance—or simply a conversation you’re not quite sure how to approach. Bring it to the FREE Workplace Conversations Clinic on September 21. Join Cathie Leimbach and other leaders to talk through real workplace people challenges, hear different perspectives, and get ideas for moving forward. Register Here
Many leaders don't set out to become the answer to every question. It happens gradually. Someone asks their leader how to do it because it's faster than figuring it out. Another employee waits because they don't want to make the wrong decision. Before long, you're answering questions your team should be able to answer on their own. The good news is that you don't have to be the answer to every question. You can build a team that thinks, solves problems, and takes ownership without you giving up appropriate control. Here are a few places to start: Ask Before You Answer When someone brings you a problem, don't start by giving them the solution. Instead, ask: What do you think? What options have you considered? What would you do if I wasn't here? People grow when they think through problems—not when someone else thinks for them. Let Small Decisions Stay Small. Not every decision needs your approval. Look for low-risk opportunities where employees or supervisors can tell the employee to make the call themselves. Confidence grows with experience. Praise Initiative, Even When It's Imperfect. If people believe they'll be criticized every time they make a decision, they'll stop making them. When someone takes ownership, recognize their initiative. Coaching them to make a better decision is easier in the long run than making every decision yourself. Notice the Questions That Keep Coming Back. If you're answering the same questions week after week, don't just answer them faster. Ask why they're still being asked. The issue may not be your people. It may be an unclear expectation, an inconsistent process, lack of training, or a conversation that never happened. Helping people think for themselves doesn't happen in one meeting. It happens through dozens of everyday collaborative conversations that gradually build confidence, judgment, and ownership. Conversation is Where Leadership Happens™ You don't have to figure it all out alone. Bring your workplace people challenges to the FREE Workplace Conversations Clinic September 21. Join Cathie Leimbach and other leaders for a practical conversation about the people challenges you're facing—and leave with fresh perspectives you can put to work. Register HERE
