INTHEBLACK November 2021 - Magazine - Page 71
overreaction and that drop-offs in cultural contributions,
discretionary effort and sociability with the wider team
might only be temporary.
“These shouldn’t be ‘deal-breakers’, and managers need
to respect and realise that all people have rhythms and
good days or weeks, and bad days or weeks.”
BACK ON TRACK
What can be done to re-enthuse and re-motivate
employees?
Often, it’s as simple as acknowledging the work that people
are doing and saying “Thank you” – and being specific about
what you are thanking them for, says LeBusque. “Positive
reinforcement is really important to show someone their
relevance and contribution to the organisation.”
Communicating regularly one-to-one, particularly during
remote working, is helpful, says LeBusque. “Talk about their
work style preference – about how they do their very best
work, so you get the right balance between overseeing their
work and allowing autonomy of effort,” he says.
“Check in each week about what they are proud of and
what they have achieved. There is such a focus on what we
are not doing well instead of focusing and reinforcing the
positive,” says LeBusque.
“Ineffective management is a leading
cause of employee disengagement.
There are many forms of poor
leadership, but research shows
that ‘absentee leaders’ erode
staff satisfaction the most.”
DANNY LESSEM, ELMO
Getting insight into where an employee wants to
develop and what you, as their manager, are doing to
help them will also make someone feel valued, and they
are likely to make more discretionary effort, he says.
Performance and leadership coach Dan Haesler also
adds that, while feeling good about your work
contribution is motivating, in order to be part of a
high-performing and engaged team there needs to be
a shared sense of belonging.
“To what extent does your team feel part of the tribe?
Do they know you have their back? Do they feel able to be
themselves, and can they bring up tough issues without
fear of being kicked out of the tribe?”, Haesler asks.
“Team members who don’t feel a sense of belonging
or camaraderie will likely gravitate to the fringes, both
literally and metaphorically.”
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