The importance of engagement at work

One of the largest contributing factors to happiness is engagement in your work. Studies show that if an employee finds little or no satisfaction in their current role, this will have a negative knock-on effect on the rest of their lives. Conversely, if workers can’t wait to bounce out of bed and join their team, this brings a sense of worth and purpose that is highly important. A happy worker is a more productive worker. So, what can senior leaders do to ensure maximum enjoyment and productivity from their staff?

One of the most vital and potentially overlooked aspects is that of leadership. It is important here to stress the fundamental difference between management and leadership. A conventional manager, can, when leading a large team, be a very dangerous thing. Although appearing to be a stable and functionally effective role model, a manager who does not inspire and enthuse their workers is, over time, at risk of disengaging their workforce. Disengagement leads to a lack of productivity and ultimately a large staff turnover and this is potentially difficult terrain to traverse.

Look out for the type of manager who thinks only in the short term and seeks authority over who they deem to be subordinates. This type of manager can cause problems and malcontent in the office.

What employees ultimately wish for, whether it is conscious or not, is a leader. Someone who brings an excitement to the job and a strong sense of personal charisma. A compelling and engaging leader who ultimately wants to sell the work to their team is one who will harbour greater results.

A leader looks to the long term to set their goals and gets their team to help define them, not just thinking about the micro-detail and admin in the meantime. They also have the ability to passionately shape the future of their team by driving forward change in a positive and enjoyable way.

In many cases, the forward-thinking leader has maverick tendencies and this can put off a potential management team, as the individual may be deemed risky or hard work. But, rest assured, if the leader is given stretch and challenge, they will garner results and have a powerful influence on the people they work with.

For more leadership guidance, get in touch with St Andrews Consulting today.

Image credit: Most Distinguished Leader of the Year for Minority Business Award by MDGovpics licensed under Creative commons 4