3 Ways to Energize Your Team

As organizations enter a new world of work, their employees face many changes. From team restructuring to office remodeling, to the advent of hybrid work, there’s so much to worry about.

For many employees, they are still not used to working remotely. Employees want flexibility, and they’re starting to get it. But there’s a potential problem here: Workers are feeling overwhelmed, tired, and exhausted. If left unchecked, that burnout can spread to all other employees.

In its People Management Report 2021, the Predictive Index surveyed nearly 2,000 employees across more than 15 industries. According to research, 63% of employees with a “bad” manager are thinking about quitting in the next year. What makes a bad manager, the most common cause, is arguably poor communication.

The staffing crisis may be worrisome, but it is far from irreversible. Here are three ways to improve your ability to communicate as a leader – and mobilize your workforce for the future:

1. Encourage Honest Sharing With Empathy.

One of the biggest obstacles to good communication is a lack of trust. In the New York Times bestseller “Five Unusual Functions of a Team,” author Patrick Lencioni explored the dangers of distrust, saying that when people cannot be vulnerable to others, On the other hand, they tend to cover up their greatest weaknesses.

When employees feel they cannot trust their managers or colleagues, they are less likely to act in good faith. Add to that the stress of the job, or a toxic workplace culture, and mistrust only increases – causing more dysfunction throughout the organization.

Consider the following scenarios: If an employee has an innovative idea, but is uncertain about it, they may reject it instead of suggesting the idea. Likewise, if they make a mistake, they’ll probably find a way to avoid it rather than to find a solution. If these cases become more and more common, they could affect the company’s platform standards.

Don’t let the lack of trust grow. The easiest way to do so is to reward candor. Show your team that you appreciate great ideas and give everyone a chance to talk openly and freely. Don’t punish people for mistakes. Let them learn from them.

As a leader, never underestimate the power of empathy to energize and motivate. By taking the time to learn where people come from and always assuming they have good goals, you can help spread a culture of trust, progress, and loyalty.

2. Ask People How They Work Best.

Good communication will go a long way in how you respond as a leader. To encourage people to be productive every day, you’ll need to create a proactive workspace.

This is especially true when the hybrid work model is popular today. Many employees are used to working from home, while others are eager to meet and interact in person and are ready to return to the office. Others prefer a combination of the two.

Unfortunately, there’s a stark difference between an employee’s ideal non-working space and the actual space. According to a recent McKinsey study, 88% of C-suite executives work in the office at least three days a week, but less than half of employees share the same mindset.

Sincere conversations help bridge those differences. Spend time with your staff as an organizational or personal representative with your employees to get to know everyone’s interests. If you have highly extroverted team members, book meetings for more face-to-face time. If your team is more introverted, it’s better to prioritize their time to work.

Flexibility is the foundation that organizations must continually build. When you give your team autonomy about how they work best, you’re investing in trust as a leader – and it’s an action your people won’t forget.

Cheerful leader motivating his business team. Handsome young politician telling his plan and showing fist as symbol of power. Positive business people standing in background. Strong company concept

3. Present Yourself As Confident.

Good communicators don’t just trust their team – they trust themselves. When you have confidence in your skills and trust in your beliefs, it tends to show on the outside. So if you want to unite your team, be prepared to bring that energy back to yourself.

According to the People Management Report, confidence is the top skill employees value in their managers. It is a skill that is valued even more commonly than communication skill itself (just next).

Fortunately, these two characteristics are not mutually exclusive, but rather, they complement each other. If communication can make or break a team, confidence is the glue that heals all rifts, maximizes capabilities, and sets your team up for success. Of course, confidence isn’t a panacea – a study from Berkeley’s Haas Business School shows it can sometimes lead to overconfidence, leading to neutral or even negative outcomes.

The difference between confidence and arrogance lies in self-perception. When you properly recognize your own strengths and areas of concern as a leader, you can avoid internal doubt and trust in your natural abilities. Raise that awareness for your team and you encourage them to do the same.

Self-awareness is at the heart of talent optimization – the science behind building and leading great teams. At times when burnout becomes a burden, let awareness be the mainstay of your team, and confidence, empathy, and trust inevitably follow.

The HR crisis is here to stay, but it’s not too late to build your “Great Retention”.

Mike Zani

Training Industry

GEM Global compile