Manager Pitfalls in Engaging Employees

Employee engagement is how devoted employees are to your company and their work. An employee who always comes to work late, complains about every single aspect of their job, and leaves earlier than others is hardly engaged. But if an employee loves their job and connects with their team, they have a high level of engagement and intend to stay long-term.

As a leader or manager, you have a great deal to do with the engagement level of your employees. When you show trust and respect the outcome is improved trust and performance. Without positive relationships employee engagement is virtually impossible to foster. Here are the usual pitfalls you might be making that influence poor employee engagement –

Mistake #1: Lacking Regular 1:1 on Performance

Tracking staff productivity provides a baseline and real-time pulse on the productivity of your workforce. This also involves listening to their grievances and identifying bottlenecks that hamper their productivity in carrying out tasks. Failing to hold 1:1 conversations may see you missing out on key improvement areas that can enhance employees' performance.

Mistake #2: Not Setting Clear Expectations

When you fail to set the right goals and communicate those to your employees, it can negatively influence the team's productivity, morale, relationships, and ability to operate together. If this is the case, make sure to share it with the rest of your team immediately so that everyone is on the same page.

Mistake #3: Not Providing the Right Tools

Often, your team would need various tools depending on their KPIs. The choice of tools will depend on your team's expected deliverables and expertise. A smarter workaround involves cost-effective tools to set yourself in a crowded market without going overboard.

Mistake #4: Obstructive Supervision

Identifying your teams' tasks and distributing them based on their expertise can help avoid obstructive supervision. Also, instead of top-down supervision, you can remain available for your team to listen to them. This way, you can know if there are any inconsistencies in guidance, adequate supervision, and lack of communication in the hierarchy.

Mistake #5: No Delegation

Many leaders fail to delegate tasks properly, partly because of a lack of trust in employees and attachment to their ideas. This can also prove counterproductive in a modern-day workforce. You can assign responsible executors for each task, whereas a successful task delegation relies on a smooth movement of information.

Mistake #6: Lack of Clear Directions

Managers and supervisors need to harness people-management skills that can come in handy during uncertain times. They need to act like a compass for lower-level employees and guide them in the right direction when in a dilemma. Such an approach will cultivate a sense of belongingness amongst the employees and motivate them to give their best.

Mistake #7: Failing to Acknowledge Employee Accomplishments

Create an environment of recognition by taking opportunities to recognize even small successes. Even recognizing personal achievements or helping employees navigate their job duties better can drive productivity. If you do not acknowledge your employees' efforts, they will not care much about your business either.

When employees love what they do, they will naturally be more productive. Your role as leader or manager however, encourages this love and productivity. So make sure you don’t succumb to the pitfalls and work your way out of them. Whether encouraging workers to interact more, helping them solve problems, or promoting independent risk-taking — be there for your team by avoiding these common mistakes and help secure employee engagement.