Thank you for subscribing to FORWARD:Insight for Professionals. We invite you to engage in tips, tools and techniques that will enhance your professional acuity and sharpen your innovative edge.
SK Leading Forward offers one-on-one Zoom Video and teleconference options. Click the 'SCHEDULE' button below to book your next professional coaching session.
According to Gallup, 85 percent of employees around the world are not engaged or are actively disengaged at work.
Yes, you read that right. Eighty-five percent! Low employee engagement can impact everything from productivity and performance to workplace morale.
That’s why it’s important for businesses and leaders everywhere to invest time and energy in their teams – especially as employees weigh whether or not to return to work because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
One of the best ways to improve employee engagement is to improve communication. Start with these three steps:
INCREASE YOUR INTERACTIONS
Don’t wait until team members’ annual reviews to find out how they are doing. Try to check in with them monthly or quarterly. Conversations can be casual. Or use simple questions like, “How do you feel about work today?” and “What did you enjoy about your job this month?” to gain valuable insight.
DIG INTO MOTIVATION
Find out whether your team members are intrinsically or extrinsically motivated. Is it a raise or some praise that gets them going? Once you discover what motivates them, you can tailor your leadership around it. As a result, your team members will likely become more engaged and often, your business will become more productive.
SHARE, SHARE AND SHARE SOME MORE
Keep the communication flowing. For example, if changes are coming, tell your team members. Even if you cannot share specific details, let them know change is on the horizon and that you’ll keep them informed. This builds trust and ensures leaders and teams are on the same page.
Watch the video below from NetSuite that dives deeper into employee engagement and why it matters.
Are you due for a mental reset?
Feeling like your mind is one giant notepad filled with a bunch of illegible scribbles? You’re not alone.
Information overload is in, well, overload since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Many of us are still working from home while wondering how our employees and families are coping. And we’re still feeling stressed and anxious about day-to-day life.
Here are some simple ways to increase our mental capacity and enhance our brain power. I like to call it a mental reset.
Wake up 10 to 15 minutes earlier than your normally do. Take that time to calm your brain and your body while it’s still quiet in the house.
Write down a schedule for the week. If a week is too challenging, start with one day.
Reserve your brain power for things that need you. For example, if you have a work survey that’s due next week but you also need to draft an agenda for tomorrow’s online meeting, focus on the agenda. Deal with the survey tomorrow.
Rest when you can. Your brain needs sleep. Getting enough will help your brain focus and solve problems while you are awake.
DID YOU KNOW?
Fall leaf colors depend on how much sugar is in the leaves. There’s a specific pigment that’s only produced in the fall when sugars are trapped in the leaves. Dry weather and sunlight lead to more sugars in the leaves and, as a result, brighter red leaves.
