Every business wants employees who are enthusiastic about their work, take ownership of it, and strive for better teamwork. Accomplishing this takes more than just wishing for it, however. Managers and the company culture can encourage these traits by treating employees like owners—not renters.
A recent report from Gallup, “The State of the American Workplace,” found that only one-third of employees felt a sense of ownership in the companies they work for. If this is the case within your team, it’s never too late to turn things around. There are a few steps you can take to help boost employee engagement, ownership, and teamwork:
Communicate goals and be specific.
Managers should be accessible and clearly communicate the company’s goals and vision for the future. Being specific is essential, as it communicates the value of each department and employee. Don’t limit these conversations to goals, either. Be clear about the current challenges and shortfalls faced by teams within the company and encourage a solution-driven discussion.
Give employees room to breathe.
One of the keys to employee engagement is allowing for a degree of autonomy. If you notice yourself or other managers micromanaging, it’s time to have a discussion about stepping back and giving employees room to breathe and explore new ideas.
Prioritize initiative over experience.
It’s common to prioritize experience and length of time at the company when considering current employees for promotions, but these factors don’t necessarily mean that the employee is pushing the company closer to its goals. Consider initiative when promoting to create a culture that focuses on commitment, recognition, and results.
Provide timely feedback.
When an employee’s work or behavior is becoming a problem, provide feedback as early as you can. When providing feedback, be specific and make it a discussion that is focused on solutions—not the problem. Waiting to provide feedback until an annual or quarterly review doesn’t help the employee or their team.
Use these ideas as starting points for fostering a productive, enthusiastic workplace culture. If you’re looking for more ideas to improve recruitment and company culture, visit our blog.