Inspiring and Energizing Your Staff

Are all of your employees giving their all every time? Do they always feel like their work really matters? Have a few employees lost interest and become disconnected from their work?

It’s a fact: Employees who are engaged in their work … who like what they’re doing, believe their work is important and feel truly appreciated for their efforts perform far more effectively than those who don’t.

Yes, one of the basic tenets of humanity is the desire to be appreciated. This comes in many forms, yet the function is the same. Consider that the energy of employees follows the energy of the leadership, starting at the very top. Employees’ energy level can only be as great as that of the leader they have the most interaction with.

Lead by Example: Back to the Basics
On a daily basis, leaders should:
• Say “thank you” to employees—even if it is a generic statement, such as “Thank you for all you do”
• Be visible—eat lunch in the cafeteria with employees, walk around throughout the company and be involved with company events and functions
• Be positive—employees will read into a negative outlook or comments from leaders and assume the worst
• Be pleasant—smile, laugh and genuinely enjoy conversations with employees

Tools for Basic Appreciation
• Never overlook the power of a simple thank-you
• Keep a supply of thank-you cards
• Make appreciation a standing agenda item on all regular meetings
• Require leaders to track thanks given and to whom—create and keep a central spreadsheet or database of this information
• Provide a means for employees to thank one another—peer-to-peer thanks is very powerful
• Provide a means for customers to thank employees whom they believe do a great job

Rounding With Employees
Rounding is a simple and highly effective leadership tool. Rounding has origins in health care and involves leaders informally visiting different areas and asking employees questions to gauge what is happening. Doctors round with patients, and leaders need to do the same with employees. Rounding should be a regularly scheduled task for leaders at all levels of the organization.

Benefits of Rounding
• Easy way to stay in touch with employees
• Allows early problem identification
• Demonstrates caring and appreciation to employees
• Shows involvement of leadership in daily functions of company

Rounding Questions
1. What is working well?
2. Is there anything you need?
3. Who should be thanked for their hard work or efforts and why?

Build rounding into every leader’s schedule and make it a performance requirement for leaders at all levels of the organization.