Tag Archives: Employee Engagement
Four Steps for Avoiding Employee Burnout
“That’s the thing: You don’t understand burnout unless you’ve been burned out. And it’s something you can’t even explain. It’s just doing something you have absolutely no passion for.” —Elena Delle Donne
You expect a lot from your employees. And, as hard as they try, even the best employees burnout from time to time. The work still needs to get done so, how can you as a leader help avoid employee burnout?
Their passion not yours
Our passion is what energizes us. One of the biggest causes of burnout is working hard on someone else’s passion. When you find ways for employees to use their own passions in pursuit of shared goals, they are more likely to stay energized and avoid burnout.
Challenging opportunities
After performing the same tasks over and over again we start operating on autopilot. Challenging opportunities keep employees engaged in their work. When they are engaged, they are far less likely to experience burnout.
Part of the big picture
No one wants to feel like a small, insignificant cog in a big machine. Every employee needs to know that their contributions are an important part of a bigger picture. When employees feel that they are an integral part of something bigger than themselves, they are less likely to succumb to burnout.
Show gratitude
We all want to know that we are appreciated. When you show gratitude to employees for their hard work and appreciation for their unique talents, they are more likely to devote 110% of their efforts to the success of the whole. When employees see that their work is appreciated, they will be energized.
Energize Your Employees
Energizing your employees is the key to avoiding employee burnout. Incorporate their passion into their work. Continually offer them challenging opportunities. Make sure they understand how important their role is in the big picture. Show gratitude for their contributions and acknowledge the value of their unique talents. Don’t let your employees’ job just become a job. Avoid employee burnout by making work meaningful, rewarding, and energizing.
© 2017 Elizabeth Stincelli
Liz Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the Founder of Stincelli Advisors where she focuses on helping organizations change attitudes, change communication dynamics, improve collaboration and problem-solving, engage employees, and strengthen organizational culture. Liz holds a Doctor of Management degree with an emphasis on organizational leadership.
Learn more about Liz by visiting her website, stincelliadvisors.com and connect with her on Twitter @infinitestin, Google+, and LinkedIn. You can contact her by email at stincelliadvisors@gmail.com.
Employee Engagement: Ready to Call off the Wedding?
Had a great conversation with my good friend, Beth Strathman on employee engagement. Listen here:
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Three Ways to Invest in Your Employees that Won’t Cost You a Dime
“Transformation in the world happens when people are healed and start investing in other people.” —Michael W. Smith
By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM
Why Invest in Your Employees?
Your time is the most valuable gift you can offer, when you make time to invest in your employees, the work environment in your organization will become a much happier place. Happy employees are more productive and quality conscious which results in higher profits. They have better interactions with both colleagues and customers which results in better experiences on every level and they make better brand ambassadors for your organization. When you invest in providing experiences that instill a sense of pride and accomplishment in each employee, your employees will give 100% to the organization. So, how can you invest in your employees without spending a dime?
Engagement
Chuck Daly said, “There’s nothing like being involved with a team that can go that distance.” One of the best investments you can make in your employees is to engage them in their work tasks, their teams, and the organization as a whole. This engagement gives them a sense of pride and satisfaction in their work. Bring out the best in them by encouraging them to take control over their own work and to identify and find solutions to problems. Listen to what they value and want to accomplish. Don’t micromanage; give your employees the skills and resources they need and then empower them to design how their work gets done. The experience your customers have with your organization is directly linked to how engaged and satisfied your employees are; invest in the engagement of your people.
Opportunity
Bobby Unser believes, “Success is where preparation and opportunity meet.” Providing opportunities to grow, personally and professionally, in the organization is a valuable investment in your employees. When employees grow, your organization grows; when they excel, you excel. Your employees are your most valuable asset, don’t let them feel underutilized. Continually give them the opportunity to gain experience and control their own work tasks. Offer them mentorship opportunities and give them access to training and development resources. Prepare your people to move on to something bigger and better; invest in offering your employees opportunity.
Culture
Ken Robinson tells us, “The role of a creative leader is not to have all the ideas; it’s to create a culture where everyone can have ideas and feel that they’re valued.” Investment in your organizational culture is one of the most important investments you can make. When you develop a culture that inspires a sense of community and truly engages employees, you create a trusting and safe environment for collaboration. This type of culture is all-inclusive, embracing differences and a encouraging the sharing of ideas. It emphasizes the development of relationships and open communication throughout the organization regardless of title or position. A strong culture recognizes the value that every employee contributes to the success of the organization; invest in your culture.
Make the Investment
Bob Parsons advises, “Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new.” When we think of making an investment, we see dollar signs. But, as leaders, there are many investments in our employees that we can make that won’t cost us a dime. And, the return we will see is immeasurable. Offer your employees engaging work, provide them with opportunities to grow, and create a culture that embraces a sense of community and the development of relationships. Make the investment in your employees and watch the return.
© 2015 Elizabeth Stincelli
Elizabeth Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the CEO of Stincelli Advisors where she focuses on helping organizations engage employees and improve organizational culture. Elizabeth holds a Doctor of Management degree with an emphasis on organizational leadership.
Learn more about Elizabeth by visiting her website, stincelliadvisors.com and connect with her on Twitter @infinitestin, Google+, and LinkedIn. You can contact her by email at stincelliadvisors@gmail.com.
Three Daily Behaviors for Effective Leadership
“The secret of your success is determined by your daily agenda.” —John C. Maxwell
By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM
Daily Behaviors
Your ability to inspire and influence, as a leader, is tied directly to your daily behaviors. These behaviors need to be based on your core values and they need to support a strong, shared vision. Your leadership should never be about you; your focus every day should be on creating win-win situations where not only the organization wins, but employees win. If you can successfully create these situations, you also win as an effective leader.
The performance of any one individual is linked to the health of the culture as a whole, and culture grows out of your leadership behaviors. Your behaviors lead to effective leadership when you appreciate the value in the contribution of each individual and invest in helping your employees grow. Show your employees that you care about them as individuals on a daily basis. Serve as a coach and a cheerleader for your team. If you A.C.E. your daily behaviors you will become a more effective leader.
Acknowledge
Tim Ferriss explained, “For most people, happiness in life is a massive amount of achievement plus a massive amount of appreciation. And you need both of those things.” Your employees need to know that you care. They need to see that you recognize and appreciate that everyone has something of value to offer. Get to know your employees and make them feel valued on an individual level. Express sincere, specific appreciation. Acknowledge progress and potential by providing opportunities to gain further experience and knowledge; seek to promote from within when possible. Share the credit; acknowledge that you accomplish nothing alone.
Communicate
Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. said, “It’s about communication. It’s about honesty. It’s about treating people in the organization as deserving to know the facts. You don’t try to give them half the story. You don’t try to hide the story. You treat them as true equals and you communicate and you communicate and communicate.” As a leader, you must invest in relationships and building trust on a daily basis. You need to communicate your passion in a way that will connect others to your vision, mission, and current focus. You need to be transparent and share pertinent information so that employees not only have the information needed to do their jobs but also to feel they are an important part of a long-term vision and goal. Above all else, you must learn to be good at listening. When you listen, it shows your employees that you care. When they know you care, they put their trust in you and will give 100% to their work.
Engage
Rupert Murdoch believes, “In motivating people you’ve got to engage their minds and their hearts. I motivate people, I hope, by example- and perhaps by excitement, by having productive ideas to make others feel involved.” You must give your employees a reason to believe they are part of something bigger than themselves. On a daily basis you must show that you are confident in their abilities and interested in their input. Give them the opportunity to manage their own work. Provide an environment where it is safe for them to fail and learn the lessons that their mistakes have to offer. Encourage your employees to solve problems and make decisions; not because they have to, but because they want to. When you ignite passion and excitement for the vision they are contributing to reaching they will be engaged in their work and everyone will reap the benefits.
Effective Leadership
Effective leaders acknowledge, communicate with, and engage employees on a daily basis. They know that it’s not about them; it’s about those who follow them. They value the skills and knowledge that each employee brings to the table. They communicate ‘with’ not ‘to’ employees. They awaken excitement in working together towards a shared vision. A.C.E. your daily leadership behaviors; your ability to inspire and influence depends on it.
© 2015 Elizabeth Stincelli
Elizabeth Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the CEO of Stincelli Advisors where she focuses on helping organizations engage employees and improve organizational culture. Elizabeth holds a Doctor of Management degree with an emphasis on organizational leadership.
Learn more about Elizabeth by visiting her website, stincelliadvisors.com and connect with her on Twitter @infinitestin, Google+, and LinkedIn. You can contact her by email at stincelliadvisors@gmail.com.
How Leadership Impacts Culture and Why it Matters
“Research shows that the climate of an organization influences an individual’s contribution far more than the individual himself.” —W. Edwards Deming
By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM
How Leadership Impacts Culture
Culture is a set of values, behaviors, and habits that operate within the organization even when no one is looking. The culture of an organization is driven by what leaders value, how they behave, and what they communicate. Leadership ripples through the organization with either productive or devastating power. It can build or break down barriers; widen or bridge gaps. It can build others and inspire greatness or it can tear others down and cause them to disengage. Leadership either encourages collaboration and challenging the status quo or stifles teamwork and innovation.
Culture and inspiration grow from the vision, long-standing values, and behaviors of the leader. If the leader is seen as being selfless and authentic then followers are more likely to buy into their vision for the future. This type of leader inspires a trusting and consistent culture.
As a leader, employees watch how you behave to determine if you are authentic and deserving of support. You are always under observation; employees are taking their social and cultural cues from you. Are you transparent? Are you willing to share pertinent information about the organization including financial metrics and profit, operating plans, priorities, and the current focus? Are you supportive and encouraging? When you are transparent and share information employees feel secure, they feel like they are an important part of a team, and they want to be part of your vision. Your leadership has a direct and deep-seated impact on the culture of your organization.
Why it Matters
The top challenges facing organizations today are culture, engagement, and employee retention. Culture matters because it is the very fiber of the organization and determines how goals will be accomplished. The culture you create serves as the vehicle with which you get people working together towards accomplishing a shared vision. A dysfunctional culture hurts your bottom line; it results in decreased productivity and quality, increased employee absences, and higher turnover. The culture of your organization determines how employees feel about their work and themselves; when they feel good they invest 100% of themselves in their performance.
Your culture ultimately translates into your brand. What do you want your brand message to be? If you, as the leader, do not serve something greater than yourself, your employees will not follow. They may perform their tasks, but when their hearts are not in it productivity and engagement suffer. When productivity and engagement suffer, how your organization is perceived by clients, suppliers, and the community suffers. Your leadership isn’t about you; it’s about recognizing and bringing out the best in others while uniting teams under a common vision for the future. Are your employees engaged? The level of employee engagement is a good indication of the health of the culture in your organization.
Set your ego aside and take an honest assessment of your culture and the impact your behavior, as a leader, is having. Your culture will mimic the same tone, mission, and values as your leadership. You can’t fool yourself any longer; culture matters. Your culture tells everyone why your organization exists, where it is going, and how it will get there. Look around, you can see the culture in what your employees are saying about you and in the levels of positive energy or negative energy in your organization.
Take-Away
No one can know or do everything themselves, we all need the cooperation of others to succeed. Your leadership can transform the culture into one that is supportive and engaging or it can tear down the very fabric of cooperation and dedication. Are your employees engaged and excited to be part of your vision? What you value, how you behave, and what you communicate, as a leader, will create the culture of your organization. And, culture matters.
© 2015 Elizabeth Stincelli
Elizabeth Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the CEO of Stincelli Advisors where she focuses on helping organizations engage employees and improve organizational culture. Elizabeth holds a Doctor of Management degree with an emphasis on organizational leadership.
Learn more about Elizabeth by visiting her website, stincelliadvisors.com and connect with her on Twitter @infinitestin, Google+, and LinkedIn. You can contact her by email at stincelliadvisors@gmail.com.
Become an Exceptional Leader
“One rare and exceptional deed is worth far more than a thousand commonplace ones.” —Saint Ignatius
By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM
Exceptional Leadership
Exceptional leadership is not about you, it’s about those who follow you. It is the responsibility of the leader to steer the ship. But, an exceptional leader goes beyond just setting the course, they help their team to shape their ideas into something meaningful and then empower and encourage them to see their ideas come to fruition. Exceptional leaders focus on helping others achieve success. They have a strong sense of purpose and communicate that purpose to others through their words and actions. They develop strong relationships built on trust and respect. And, they engage others in their purpose by providing meaningful work and opportunities that inspire others to become the best they can be. Start working on becoming an exceptional leader today.
Communication
Rollo May believed that, “Communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy, and mutual valuing.” Exceptional leaders understand the value of open communication in building a trusting, safe environment where employees feel their ideas and contributions are valued. This type of environment fosters as sense of community and the collaboration necessary for true innovation and success. Exceptional leaders use conversations to build connections by giving others their undivided attention. They use conversations as a means of provoking questions not providing answers. This allows them to incorporate the contributions from a variety of sources into one, awesome idea.
Trust
Stephen Covey tells us, “Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.” Exceptional leaders are authentic, approachable, and compassionate. They empathize with others on a deep and personal level. We trust people who share our values, who do what they say they will do, who authentically invest in our relationship, and who treat us as they wish to be treated. Exceptional leaders understand that without trust they have little or no influence.
Engagement
Ian K. Smith said, “I think happiness is a combination of pleasure, engagement, and meaningfulness.” Exceptional leaders understand that everyone wants to feel engaged and of value. People want to know there is a purpose to their tasks, to be given control over their work, and to be encouraged to make it their own. Exceptional leaders see the value of the skills, experience, and knowledge that employees throughout the organization have to offer. They provide meaning and create opportunities for employee to engage in contributing to a purpose that speaks to them on an individual level.
Become an Exceptional Leader
Exceptional leaders bring people under a common purpose and then allow them to create their own ideas and provide the support they need to flourish. People will follow an individual in a position of authority because they have to; they will follow an exceptional leader because they want to. Commit to becoming an exceptional leader; build open communication, earn trust, and encourage engagement. You will make a difference in the lives of those who follow you and they will reward you with the loyalty and support you need to bring your leadership vision to life.
© 2015 Elizabeth Stincelli
Elizabeth Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the CEO of Stincelli Advisors where she focuses on helping organizations engage employees and improve organizational culture. Elizabeth holds a Doctor of Management degree with an emphasis on organizational leadership.
Learn more about Elizabeth by visiting her website, stincelliadvisors.com and connect with her on Twitter @infinitestin, Google+, and LinkedIn. You can contact her by email at stincelliadvisors@gmail.com.
Giving Employees Rewarding Work
“Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” —Theodore Roosevelt
By Elizabeth Stincelli, DM
Rewarding Work
Employees want the work they do to have a purpose. Having a purpose makes their work rewarding. Whether or not employees find their work rewarding may have the single biggest impact on their attitude and productivity. As a leader, you should strive to create a work culture that emphasizes autonomy, collaboration, and transparency. Help employees see how their values and priorities align with yours and those of the organization. Give them rewarding work by engaging them, challenging them, and helping them find meaning in their work on a daily basis.
Feeling engaged
Earl Nightingale said, “We are at our very best, and we are happiest, when we are fully engaged in work we enjoy on the journey toward the goal we’ve established for ourselves.” Do you want productive employees? Then engage them in working toward goals you both believe in. Give them the opportunity to have a real impact on something bigger than themselves. Demonstrate trust and respect by allowing them to have control over how their own work gets done. Bring them together and provide a sense of community and the opportunity to develop true and engaging connections with others.
Being challenged
Nate Berkus told us, “You will enrich your life immeasurably if you approach it with a sense of wonder and discovery, and always challenge yourself to try new things.” Employees want to feel challenged. When you provide opportunities for them to tackle challenges you show that you trust and respect them; you spark their interests and build self-confidence. Just as you should continue to grow and stretch yourself, you need to offer your employees the same opportunity.
Finding meaning
Les Brown stated, “Life takes on meaning when you become motivated, set goals, and charge after them in an unstoppable manner.” Employees want work that is meaningful. Finding that meaning is what will keep them motivated. As a leader, it is your responsibility to develop a shared purpose and meaning that employees can buy into; make finding and sharing this meaning a priority. Incorporate shared values into the work employees are responsible for. Strive to help them understand that their time is not being wasted on something meaningless. Become aware of what matters to your employees and then connect with them in serving higher purpose.
Make it Rewarding
Having a purpose makes employee’s work rewarding. And, rewarding work results in higher levels of employee satisfaction and productivity. As a leader, it is your responsibility to engage employees in the work they do, offer them challenges and show that you trust them to address these challenges, and help them find meaning that is tied to shared values. You ask your employees to give their best to their work, make it rewarding.
What can you do, starting today, to make work more rewarding for your employees?
© 2015 Elizabeth Stincelli
Elizabeth Stincelli is passionate about recognizing and inspiring the leader in each of us. She is the CEO of Stincelli Advisors where she focuses on helping organizations engage employees and improve organizational culture. Elizabeth holds a Doctor of Management degree with an emphasis on organizational leadership.
Learn more about Elizabeth by visiting her website, stincelliadvisors.com and connect with her on Twitter @infinitestin, Google+, and LinkedIn. You can contact her by email at stincelliadvisors@gmail.com.