Establishing and Reinforcing Positive Emotions to a Successful Employee Engagement
If we are witnessing one transformation in the workplace it is the role of engagement as the single most important driver of successful change. Or, put another way, we are understanding the real risks of failing to engage with employees as part of change and the legacy issues that this creates. So why is there often a disconnect between the seemingly simplistic idea of engagement and the reality of workplace change? The answer lies in recognising the decisive role emotions play in employee engagement.
Establishing and reinforcing positive emotions is central to successful employee engagement. It provides a separation from ‘business as usual’ activities in order to reflect and understand the progress of change, with all of the emotive sensitivities that this brings. A leader’s ability to observe cues and responses supports the development of constructive interpersonal relationships.
4 Key Emotions Leading to Engagement
Research demonstrates that emotions are the principal drivers of employee engagement, with a study showing that the engagement level of employees who experience positive emotions is five times higher than those who experience negative emotions. The argument is that leaders should focus on building commitment by building involvement with a focus on interpersonal relationships. In addition to feeling valued the study found that there were four key emotions that lead to engagement:
- inspired
- confident
- empowered
- enthusiasm
So how can leaders build these emotions in their teams?
Great leaders operate with high levels of emotional intelligence and are equipped with compassion, empathy, and humility in order to place themselves in the shoes of others. They may not have all the answers but support and engage with their teams in spite of ambiguity. They also:
- put themselves out there, they take the lead to solve problems and tackle issues;
- build a vision around story-telling, consistent behaviour and an unwavering belief;
- spend time with the troops, they ask questions, they sit and listen, they are a part of the team;
- encourage others to take a risk, make a decision, promote an idea; and
- are real.
All too often change is stifled or fails because of a lack of engagement and is a result of not anticipating the emotional impact of all decisions, even the apparently straightforward. There is a need for constant judgement and refining of the objectives of engagement, rather than assuming people are transitioning in accordance with a plan or timetable.
The challenge as a leader is to prioritise engagement; change is a given, but its success is not. Our experience tells us that this likelihood increases significantly if engagement is at the core of the change strategy.
