Get to Know Your Biggest Fans: What Every Employee Wants

Understanding your expectations.

People rise to the expectations set for them. Many problems in business are caused by a lack of understanding of expectations or a misunderstanding of what’s needed and expected.

More listening.

Stop talking so much. Ask for input and feedback. People are more likely to support what they help create. Stop the monologues and talking at your employees; let’s have real, two-way conversations.

Take action on employee suggestions.

The action might be as simple as looping back with the employee to share appreciation for their thoughts, and help them understand why you’re not implementing their suggestion for an alternative approach. In this way, you’re closing the feedback loop, which can be as worthwhile as implementing an employee’s suggestion.

Show employees you care (in a genuine way).

Find out what’s important to employees, and please be sure to acknowledge critical milestones that are important to them.

Empathize with your teams.

Pause and imagine how employees truly feel. Show you hear them, and validate their feelings. The payoff is an employee who knows you care; at the same time, you gather information that’s useful to motivating that employee.

Recognize and appreciate employees.

Say “thank you” for a job well done. Reinforce very specifically the behaviors you want to continue seeing.

Which of these strategies would have the greatest positive impact on your employees?

--David Grossman

Download—Cutting to Win: 6 Steps for Getting Employees on Your Side During Cost Cuts— and start communicating changes in a way that builds trust and retains your workforce.