Rule #3 - Leaders Must "Know Their Employees"
“Leadership is everything. Leadership is the single most important factor in our business. Unless the general manager of the shop is leading the team and providing a well managed, secure, well organized and inspirational environment, there is no customer experience.” Andrew Rolfe, Former Chairman - Pret a Manger
Awareness means that you are aware of something. Awareness implies vigilance in observing or alertness in drawing inferences from what one experiences. So let’s talk about why Leaders need to have high awareness to create engaged and committed employees.
Think about all of the Leaders that you have had – how many would you “go the extra mile for”? People go the extra mile for people they know, like and can relate to. They go the extra mile for people that understand them and their individual goals and challenges. And they go the extra mile for people that they can relate to, people that take the time to understand them. The same goes for a Leader.We believe that too few Leaders really take the time to get to know members of their team. We believe that too few Leaders truly understand their employees, and their personal circumstances and challenges. We believe that too few Leaders try to take a walk in their employees’ shoes.
So what can Leaders do to increase their awareness of their employees and their individual goals, aspirations and challenges? Leaders need to:- “Walk the Floor” – for Leaders to have high awareness they must walk around and talk to their employees. By this we don’t mean that Leaders simply walk around, we mean that Leaders engage with their employees. They ask how they are doing. They stop and thank them. They ask how they are. And they do it daily.
- Know Thy Employees – for Leaders to truly engage their employees they must know them. They must understand their individual goals, aspirations and challenges. They must know what is important to each employee. Sound impossible? As a Leader, we believe that you must take the time to get to know your employees – you know it’s important to get to know your customers, so why not your employees – your most valuable asset!
- Be authentic – people go the extra mile for someone that they know and can relate to. Someone that is real, authentic. For a Leader to truly engage their people – they must be real. They must share personal stories about themselves that their employees can relate to. We are NOT saying that you share everything, but rather things that demonstrate that you are real person.
- Be accessible – accessibility is critical. If your employees don’t feel that you are accessible then they will never truly engage. Have an open door, welcome people in and be there when someone needs you – it will make a world of difference.
- Listen and respond – for a Leader to truly engage their employees they must take the time to listen, respond to and implement feedback from their employees. Listening is not enough – a Leader must be seen to take feedback and action it!
Let us know your thoughts!
Comments
I am enjoying your rules of engagement. This is a very engaging series.
I believe leadership is a key and I nod in agreement with what you said here.
I would add the leader needs a good measure of self-awareness for her or his own engagement. We cannot engage others when we are disengaged.
I think a lot of engagement driven by leadership is based on a foundation of caring and powerful empathy for people combined with caring and powerful focus on results.
Keep up the sustainable employee engagement breakthroughs.
Posted by: David Zinger | January 14, 2008 04:57 PM
David, thank you so much for your comments. I agree - in order for a Leader to engage they must be engaged themselves. As well, they also must have a high level of self-awareness. By this we mean that they are aware of themselves, their traits and behaviors and the impact they have on others.
Thanks again for your insights.
Judy
Posted by: Judy | January 14, 2008 05:10 PM