Turning a group of employees with varying degrees of engagement into a high performing team does not happen overnight. It takes time, commitment, patience, and belief that it is worth the effort.
If employee’s needs are not met, they switch off and eventually look for somewhere else to work.
There are five primary needs that employees have that MUST be met if they are to become passionate about their work and committed to your business success.
These needs are:
- The need to be respected
People need to be treated with respect. They need to be listened to and know what they do is valued by their manager. Disrespect is probably the fastest way to create disengagement.
- The need to learn and grow
People have a natural desire to develop their skills and talents. They want to perform at their best. To do that they need to be given opportunities to learn and develop.
- The need to be an insider and included
No one likes to feel left out. Feeling judged or being treated differently kills engagement. Employees need to understand how their work fits into the big picture. Successful leaders focus on inclusion to build great team spirit.
- The need for meaning
Everyone wants to know that what they do is meaningful, and that it makes a difference. They need to understand the purpose behind what they do and how it contributes to the success of the business.
- The need to be part of a winning team
Being part of, and contributing to the success of a winning team generates team spirit. High performance teams significantly outperform others because they are fueled by a passion for what they are trying to achieve.
Many managers do not possess the necessary skills to meet these important employee demands. If they did, engagement across the workforce would be much higher.
It is therefore important that mangers have a clear path to follow to develop the fundamental skills and beliefs they need to succeed, so make manager training a high priority if you want to get the best out of your employees.
