By Michael Gidlewski

For leaders to be successful, it is imperative for them to discover how to “turn on” their employees’ willingness to work and participate.

Successful employee involvement requires that leaders initiate and maintain the process of involvement, and provide access to resources that people need in order to contribute.

It is only when involvement is practiced effectively that human commitment and creativity will fuel process improvement.

This module – entitled Employee Involvement – is the second in a series I like to use in my role as a corporate coach and growth catalyst.

Ask yourself this question: Do my management practices expand employee involvement or limit it?

If it’s the latter, you must discover practices that cause employees to want to get involved in meaningful, productive ways, while improving quality and performance.

How can you do this? Consider being more effusive with your praise, offering thanks in person and shaking hands for a job well done.

Try rewarding creativity. Your workers must believe that it’s safe, even encouraged, for them to generate new ideas and implement them. In turn, they will come to realize that you value their opinion, and that results in an increase in their level of investment.

Micromanage less and empower more. Leaders are responsible for establishing the vision of a group, and gauging performance. Too often, leaders tend to micromanage, and that gives off the impression that you lack trust, which adversely affects employee performance. After all, workers can’t reach their potential if not given the space to thrive.

Get back in the trenches. Don’t be afraid to work side by side with one of your employees to assist them on a project. Ask questions. Learn from them. Let them know how their achievements are key to the big picture.

The most important thing for leaders, I believe, is to listen. Ask your people how they are doing, not just professionally, but also personally. Their mood affects their performance.

You expect them to learn from your management and communication styles and to understand and adapt to your personality. Leaders must reciprocate and have a vested interest in their workers, who want to feel that they’re being heard.

At Achievement Unlimited, we have the tools to measure your employees’ engagement, beyond face-to-face discussions and team meetings.

The benefits of this module are that its creates opportunities for participation, refines interpersonal skills, and provides a support structure for collaboration.

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Michael Gidlewski is President of West Chester-based Achievement Unlimited, as well as a growth catalyst and motivational speaker. He works with motivated business owners and entrepreneurs to clearly define the elements of what they dearly want their lives to look like, then helps them connect all the moving parts that make up those visions to consistent action and habits. Michael can be reach at 610-793-6609 or via e-mail at michael@achievable.com.

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Top photo credit: CBP Photography Hearing via photopin (license)