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How engaged is your team?
Employees in the U.S. continue to feel detached from work, according to research firm Gallup's most recent employee engagement survey. Only 33 percent of employees were engaged, while 16 percent of workers reported being actively disengaged according to the survey, which focuses on 2023 and was shared yesterday.
Gallup defines employee engagement as follows:
If you're a business owner, manager, or team lead who's struggling with disengaged team members, what can you do?
Gallup presents an insightful solution.
"A manager having one meaningful conversation per week with each team member develops high-performance relationships more than any other leadership activity," writes Gallup. The research firm says such conversations can be as short as 15 minutes.
One meaningful conversation per week.
In just five words, Gallup describes the biggest key to employee engagement, an emotionally intelligent habit that you can use to help make your employees feel needed, wanted, and motivated.
What does a meaningful conversation look like?
After analyzing the data, Gallup outlined the top five characteristics of what it calls "meaningful conversations." They align closely with my own findings over the past two years, as a group of researchers and I studied hundreds of global teams.
Let's take a closer look at each characteristic, and see how you can implement these conversations into your weekly routine. (If you find value in this lesson, you might be interested in my free emotional intelligence course, which teaches you how to build EQ in yourself and your team.)
According to Gallup, less than 25 percent of employees strongly agree that they get proper recognition for their work. And those who do are four times more likely to be engaged.
To help combat this tendency, follow the Rule of Recognition: Make it a point to note what a person is doing well, what you appreciate, or what you can thank them for. Your praise doesn't always have to be elaborate, but it should be sincere and specific.
For example, you might say something like this:
"Hey, _________, do you have a minute? I want to share something. We should probably say this more, but please know we really appreciate what you do around here. The way you [insert specific action or quality you appreciate]--it really makes this a better place. Keep up the good work."
Of course, you can't just commend subpar work, and employees need constructive feedback, too. But everyone can be commended for something. So, make your default setting to look for the good, and to express it.
Because of increased remote and hybrid work, "collaboration and relationships are at risk," says Gallup. On the other hand, the company's research showed that when co-worker relationships are strong, employees are more likely to stay at a company longer and to recommend the company to others.
So, whether your people are working in the office, remotely, or a combination of the two, make sure they have opportunities to connect with others and work together.
In analyzing more than 112,000 teams and business units, Gallup found strong connections between team members knowing what is expected of them and many important outcomes, including productivity, employee retention, and employee well-being.
But goals and priorities shift, sometimes from one day to the next. That's why weekly check-ins are so beneficial; they help keep everyone on the same page.
Gallup says conversations between 15 and 30 minutes had a greater impact than those lasting 30 to 60 minutes, but with one caveat: The conversations had to be frequent.
"If managers don't give employees feedback every week, they will need longer conversations to catch up," says Gallup.
Have you ever asked your people: What type of work do you enjoy? What's a hidden strength or talent I don't know about? What would you like to do that you don't do now?
You might be surprised at their answers to those questions.
Use these and similar questions to get to know your people better. Then use that knowledge to better leverage their strengths. This may cause you to consider them for a task or project that you wouldn't have otherwise. And doing so may not only increase the quality of the job, but also help motivate the person because they're being seen and heard.
To make sure you're having these weekly conversations, you'll have to book them in your calendar.
Remember, you don't have to incorporate all five of these characteristics every time you meet. (Try focusing on one or two at a time.) And, of course, you may need more time when getting started. But once this becomes a part of your weekly routine, most of the conversations will become shorter. Strive to maintain that weekly, 15-30 minute cadence.
At the same time, be careful not to make it a "box-ticking" exercise, or you'll defeat the purpose. Schedule buffer time around your meetings so that you can discuss important topics if they come up.
As a business owner, manager, or team lead, you're busy. But if you want your people to feel valued and motivate them to be at their best, remember at the very least:
One meaningful conversation per week.
A refreshed look at leadership from the desk of CEO and chief content officer Stephanie Mehta
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