Five common signs of disengaged people and five steps to take to improve individual’s contribution and engagement.
Does your team check out before the day is over? Are people on your team falling asleep on the job? Recognise the signs of disengagement.
How often do you see talented people in your business fail to reach their potential? Do some choose to behave in ways that undermine their success? Unless employees invest their talents and energy in their role they are unlikely to succeed.
If your people are disengaged, chances are your businesses performance is suboptimal. Watch for these five common signs:
- Absenteeism. Do some staff members take an unusual amount of unplanned time off? Look also for patterns such as being away regularly either side of weekends.
- Lack of discretionary effort. Note if people start doing only as much as they feel they need to. Workers fully invested in their role voluntarily go the extra mile, don’t have to be asked to support others, and strive to reach goals or deadlines.
- Absence of teamwork. Disengaged people tend to focus on what they need to achieve and avoid participating in the group. They are likely to palm off responsibilities.
- Suboptimal productivity. Notice how focused people are and how well they use their time and resources. Working at an unreasonably slow pace, being distracted and being disorganised are warning signs.
- Poor quality work. People with skills, knowledge and experience can fail to deliver a reasonable standard of output. Errors, incomplete actions, mediocre presentation and lack of follow-through are common behaviours when people are disengaged.
Lifting engagement takes a deliberate approach focused on each individual and your team as a whole. While the steps you take as a leader are critical, so too is each individual’s willingness to work toward a better standard of contribution.
“Expect every member of your team to take ownership for their own success and happiness at work. If people don’t want to be there, they need to move on.”
There are five critical steps to take when you have disengaged team members:
- Talk to your staff. Talk to each person on your team about how they feel about their role, your business and the future. Find out how much they enjoy their job. Some people simply don’t like what they do. Maintaining engagement and performance in a role we don’t enjoy is unlikely.
- Energise your team’s spirit. Understand what energises your team. When people have plenty of positive energy they are more likely to be effective and act positively. When drained of energy, workers are likely to undermine success.
- Share an inspiring vision for the future. Help your employees see a clear picture of the future. Inspire them to want to be a part of it by sharing what you believe the team is capable of achieving. Instil a sense of belief in the future. When people see little point in what they are doing or any hope of success, they are likely to disengage.
- Promote a strong sense of personal value. How we feel about ourselves as well as how we believe other people feel about us helps energise our spirit and influence our engagement. When workers feel valued, capable and respected, they are likely to give things a go. When they feel disrespected or undervalued, they will probably minimise their contribution. Reward and recognise people – even a pat on the back can make a big difference.
- Value relationships. Build an environment that nurtures healthy relationships. When people trust and respect their colleagues, they are more likely to feel emotionally invested in your business. Consider who you invite to join your team and the impact they may have on the group. Address any conflicts and behaviour that adversely impact how people feel about coming to work.
Karen Gately, Founder, Ryan Gately, Author, The People Manager’s Toolkit
This article first appeared in issue 13 of the Inside Small Business quarterly magazine
