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Sometimes following the herd is exactly what you should encourage employees to do.

Yes, you read that right.

Specifically, developing a herd mentality can be an effective approach for improving employee engagement. Why? A herd mentality is based on a set of processes and standards that guide staff towards a unified approach. By clearly defining aspects like expected behaviors and taking the lead to demonstrate them at the outset, along with directly asking employees what they need, you will build the foundation for a more engaged team.

Make no mistake about it: Engagement is critical to the success of your organization. The benefits of employee engagement include (1):

  • 21% higher profitability
  • 20% higher sales
  • 17% higher productivity
  • 10% higher customer ratings

Creating a herd mentality that sparks engagement among employees hinges on formulating and reinforcing realistic processes that have what it takes to prove their value. When you set employees up for success in this way, you will notice their engagement level rise.

The way you conduct yourself as a leader on a daily basis will heavily affect whether this approach works for your organization. By honoring the eight rules below, you can maximize the return on investment you get from implementing a herd mentality.
1. Get to Know Employees

It is easy, especially in workplaces that are partially or fully remote, to forget about the human side of your staff. Overwhelming workloads and work-related stress intensify the challenge. While you should always be professional, there is merit in getting to know your employees as living, breathing people.

Appropriate ways to learn more about your staff include:

  • Share a memorable experience you had and ask if they would like to share one of their own.
  • Inquire about their home life in a non-intrusive way. For example, ask if they have any pets and what those pets mean to their family.
  • Find out what hobbies they enjoy. Display interest in these activities and ask why they are among their favorites.

By investing a bit of extra time and effort in getting to know your employees, you will make them feel appreciated and like they are a valued member of the team.

2. Embrace Uncertainty

This rule might sound counterintuitive to the practice of establishing processes, but they are in fact two different concepts. Embracing uncertainty means being confident enough in your people’s expertise and skill set to remain calm when the unexpected happens. And make no mistake about it, your company will face unprecedented challenges. Every organization does at some point.

Instead of automatically flipping on panic mode, turn struggle into opportunity. Ask yourself, and your employees, what kind of opportunities the situation presents. Get your team involved; do not isolate yourself with the rest of the leadership team. After all, you hired your employees for their knowledge, experience, and skills. Now is the time to ask for their help. People appreciate it when authority figures seek out their expertise.

Be honest with your staff. Let them know that this is a challenge you did not foresee, but that you have what it takes as a team to turn it around. You might even want to divide employees into different task forces and give each one a goal that makes the most of their individual strengths.

 

 “Great leaders are not the smartest; they are the ones who admit how much they don’t know. Great leaders can’t do everything; they are the ones who look to others to help them. Great leaders don’t see themselves as great; they see themselves as human.”

Simon Sinek
Author of “Start With Why” and “The Infinite Game”

 

3. Look Out for Each Other

Step up and lend a helping hand if you notice that an employee is struggling. “All for one and one for all” should be leadership’s attitude towards every team member.

The reasons why you should exhibit this attitude are not strictly altruistic in nature. If employees feel that leadership cares about their success and wants to help them achieve it, they will be more inclined to actively participate. This desire to get involved will help foster engagement among your staff.

4. Provide Individualized Support

Equality is a positive, and necessary, principle to uphold in most cases. One of the few exceptions is the level of support you give each employee. Your staff is made up of human beings, not robots. Some of them will need more support at certain times than others. This makes attempting to equalize support nearly impossible, not to mention a bad idea.

Ideally, leadership will constantly strive to elevate each employee’s skillset. You want them to become masters of their craft, so to speak, and to continuously expand their skillset, as well. At times, achieving this will require more time and effort on your part. But it will pay off in rich dividends with employees who are not only excellent at what they do, but are also highly engaged with their work, teammates, and company.

5. Celebrate Everyone’s Wins

It is far too easy for coworkers to fall into a dog-eat-dog mindset. A little healthy competition is good. But when it disintegrates into “winning” at all costs, and when jealousy and resentment is the order of the day, employee engagement takes a nosedive.

Do away with the notion of winners and losers. Stress that everyone is a winner in the value they bring to the team. You can still recognize individual achievements but make it clear that every single employee’s contributions are appreciated and truly matter.

One example is highlighting a different employee during a monthly meeting. Touch on what makes them valuable to the company. In what areas do they excel? What skills set them apart? This way, you are giving employees recognition, but you are not limiting praise to only a chosen few.

6. Go Beyond Traditional Incentives

Your leadership team might assume that every employee is motivated by traditional, merit-based rewards. You are in good company if so; many leadership teams with the best intentions have made the same assumption.

But not every person responds to the promise of extra paid time off or a gift card. Why not think outside the box? What is one activity the majority of people would jump at the chance to do, and not everyone can afford?

Traveling and making memories! Whether it is within the United States or internationally, most people enjoy travel, exploring new cultures, and trying something new. Think about how inspired your employees would be if they knew they could earn a trip somewhere fabulous, especially a place that exceeds their personal budgetary constraints. You can pull this off by securing the services of a company that is well-versed and highly experienced in planning employee incentive travel.

7. Create a Caring Atmosphere

The act of caring for coworkers might sound silly. However, internal customers, that is peers and colleagues, are just as important as external customers who consume your products, services, and solutions.  A caring atmosphere shouldn’t be reserved just for “guests,” rather it should be practiced every day among your organization “family” to stoke the flames of engagement.

When employees feel like leadership and their colleagues care about them, they are more inclined to interact. And more interaction inevitably leads to higher levels of participation, which translates to engagement.

So, ask how your team’s days are going. Remember that they have loved ones in town visiting. Check in with them about their new puppy. Ask about their child’s dance recital. Small gestures like these will make a big difference in employee engagement.

8. Find Your Bliss

The concept of bliss and the workplace might seem like two direct opposites. Over time, our society has lost the joy we once had for work. It has become a negative concept for many people. But it does not have to be this way.

Try to find your bliss at work. Focus on the facets of your job that make you happy. And focus on the coworkers who put that extra spring in your step when you watch them thrive. You have the honor of helping them achieve success. This alone is a reason to look forward to work each day.

Your staff will pick up on your palpable joy. It will inspire them to seek out and feel their own joy. And their engagement levels will follow suit.

Leading a Happy Herd

A well-engaged staff that moves in harmony towards common business goals is positioned to succeed. You can lead your own happy herd by incorporating the rules of engagement detailed here. By taking a people-centric approach that gives each employee respect and recognition, you set the stage for the long-term success of your organization ─ not to mention a job you all enjoy more. 

Offering travel incentives is a highly effective way to spark employee engagement. Whether you’re planning a corporate meeting in a unique location or a travel reward for top performers, Gavel International can help. Contact us to learn more about our programs.

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SOURCE(S):

1 https://www.gallup.com/workplace/316883/company-culture-private-equity-intangible-value-creation-lever.aspx

Eloisa Mendez
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