Have you ever wondered if your team are as engaged as you are in achieving this year’s business goals? Does it feel as if you are flying solo, coming in early and going home late to achieve those corporate goals but are forever frustrated because it appears that no one else around you could care less?
We understand that feeling and before you ask No, it is not normal. No, this is not the behaviour of a high performing team and No you will not be winning any prizes for Best Leader of the Year anytime soon. But why not? Your commitment has never been compromised, you work more hours than the CEO and you are always on call should you be needed. However, chances are you can’t achieve all the results by yourself. That’s why you are a senior leader of a larger group of people, resources and often external suppliers/partners. A significant expectation from everyone in the network that you lead is that you will drive all the elements and produce sustainable healthy results. Most often there is a total disregard of how you will achieve results, just as long as you do, and you sustain that record.
I would like to touch upon the direct link between commitment (also known as employee engagement) and sustainable results. More often than not there is a complete culture transformation needed in order to embed practices which will drive commitment and therefore results. Shifting the culture of any organisation takes time, effort and commitment itself, all too often moving away from old habits that you have inherited from previous leaders and focusing on newly formed habits that will benefit you, your team and the wider organisation.
According to research by the Gallup institute, highly engaged teams show 21% greater profitability which is in line with our experience in working with businesses to drive high performance. There is a definite correlation between committed employees and your bottom line results. The report went on to state that those teams who score in the top 20% in engagement surveys realise a 41% reduction in absenteeism and 59% less turnover which again highlights the tangible rewards of an engaged workforce. (Forbes). We are often asked what engaged employees look like. Aside from the visible indicators of showing up to the office every day with purpose, presence and energy, the so called spring in your step, we see more clear articulation when they are questioned on the values, goals and vision of the company. Committed employees are in it for the long run – they feel a sense of purpose.
A 2018 report in the US suggested that disengaged employees cost US companies up to $550 billion a year (Forbes) and 61% of employees are burned out. These statistics highlight only too well the urgent need for organisations and leaders to look at strategies to implement employee engagement, if only to avert scenarios such as these.
Investing a little in seeking advice around this subject will go a long way to supporting you, your team and driving the results you will be proud to say you achieved not on your own but with the support of your team and as the respected and credible leader you are.
To find out more how Mindset can help you with this, please email us at hello@mindsetleadership.co.uk