When people management is discussed these days, there is a lot of talk about engagement. We read various tips and discussions about how to ensure employee engagement, yet we often forget that it is the employees themselves who decide about their engagement. Our task is to create a suitable environment for them. This means not making the unnecessary mistakes that are sure to make employees lose their engagement, such as the following ones:
You do not show employees the meaning of their work
You don’t talk about what your common goals are, what your company is trying to do. You make it clear through your conduct that your subordinates should be happy that they have a job in your company.
You do not allow employees to make decisions independently
You must approve everything personally, or even in cooperation with specially put together committees. You are a micro-manager who does not provide room for new ideas. You do not look for assignments that would be a challenge for your people and allow them to learn something new.
You do not give praise even for big successes
Your people do work that you pay them for. So why should you tell them that their work has excellent results that are clearly reflected in the company’s financial results?
You don‘t allow employees to talk to each other
You tell yourself that if they don’t talk to each other no rumors and gossip will spread through the company. But that’s very naive. Even if you force your people to just be silent and work, what do you think they will talk about during their breaks?
-kk-