Top 3 Ways Managers Engage Employees

Top Managers Engage Employees for Higher Performance
Successful managers understand that managing is not just about getting your team to do what you need them to do. Recent Korn Ferry research found that 57% of people put in more effort when they work for good leaders. Managing successfully is about consistently delivering desired results from a dedicated team of engaged, motivated, high performing employees. That is why top managers engage employees for higher performance.

What Does to Take for Managers to Engage Employees?
Successfully managing a team of people is easier said than done. But what qualities does a manager need in order to inspire and create such a stellar group and why does it matter?

First, it matters a great deal. Your top talent is always vulnerable. If they are wooed by the competition and currently unhappy, they are likely to leave. Employees leave not so much because they are unhappy with their company — they leave because they are unhappy with their manager. Improving the relationships between managers and employees can make a marked difference in retaining top talent and maintaining engaged employees.

The Top 3 Ways Managers Engage Employees
We know from our People Manager Assessment Center and employee engagement action planning data that there are three key factors in a positive manager-employee relationship:

1. Good Communication and Delegation
   Good managers communicate well. And good managers delegate well. They know how to clearly explain what needs to be done. More importantly they know how to explain why it needs to be done.
   
   Even menial tasks should have a purpose that the employee recognizes. Every cog in the wheel is necessary. Smaller cogs may not have the stage when the final product rolls off the line, but all contributors should feel appreciated and know how what they do helps the team overall.
   
   Successful managers communicate this sense of clarity and worth and mutual respect to all members of the team.
   
2. Clear Goals
   We know from our organizational alignment research, that strategic clarity accounts for 31% of the difference between high and low performing managers. Each team member should understand where the team is headed and what, specifically, will constitute success.
   
   The goals and accountabilities should be clear to everyone involved and there should be markers along the way that show progress toward the goal. There is nothing more discouraging than to begin a tough assignment and then not hear another word about it while you labor on in a vacuum. Good managers keep tabs on progress and keep their team informed along the way.
   
3. Recognition
   Good managers fairly and proportionately reward and recognize both the desired behaviors and expected outcomes that they seek to meet targets in a way that makes sense. Meaningful recognition can come in many forms. The goal is to ensure that employees know that their work is seen, valued, and appreciated.

The Bottom Line
Successful managers are critical to successful organizations. They have the greatest influence over strategy execution, talent retention, and employee satisfaction. Do your new managers know how to set goals, communicate, delegate, and recognize?

To learn more about how to better lead and manage teams, download 7 Immediate Management Actions to Create Alignment with Goals