Thriving teams: 5 ways to inspire workplace engagement
The performance of your business is unquestionably linked to your ability to tap into the talent and energy of the people on your team. The extent to which people are passionate and engaged influences the role they choose to play, and ultimately the standard of performance they achieve.
Five ways you can inspire passion and workplace engagement are:
1. Give people jobs they love to do
Look for every opportunity to get people involved in the things they love doing. Hire individuals who are interested in your industry and have a strong desire to do the job you have on offer. Ensure they also possess an interest in growing with their role and your business.
2. Create a compelling vision of the future
Show your team where you are heading and why you want to get there.
Build a picture of purpose and optimism; help people to see why what you do matters and the role you need them to play. If you set meaningful goals, people are more likely to strive to achieve them. Guide people to see the potential the team bring and the contribution they can make. Let people know that what they do is valued and how their performance matters to the success of the business.
3. Be ambitious
Aiming for average is unlikely to inspire many people to bring passion to their job. While it’s important to be realistic about the goals you set, aim high and show your team why you believe in their ability to succeed. Encourage people to challenge the way things are done and to look for opportunities to continuously improve.
4. Build a healthy workplace culture
When people feel valued and respected they are more likely to strive to succeed. When they trust the organisation they work for and the colleagues they spend time with, they are also more likely give things a go and offer up their ideas. Create a cultural environment that both inspires and enables people to be at their best.
5. Empower
People who are trusted to take full responsibility for their role are those most likely to succeed. While providing guidance and direction is important, so too is empowering people to get on with doing their jobs. Your ability to hold people accountable also depends on the extent to which you have empowered them to take full ownership for the outcomes they achieve. Allow people to contribute by influencing the way their job is done.