The most successful CEOs in the world know that to get the best out of employees they must coach and empower them to greatness. As a leader in your organization you want to ensure that your employees feel they are connected (building relationships with others), contributing (doing something meaningful), free (have a sense of choice and autonomy) and growing (developing personally and professionally). Here's how:
1. Connection
To connect with your employees, create greater trust and loyalty by being more authentic. Let go of who you think you should be, and just be yourself. Be vulnerable. We all have the same fears of not being good enough, smart enough or worthy enough, so why pretend we are the exception? The best managers connect deeply with their employees by paying attention to what's important to them. Carve out some time each week to grab lunch or a coffee with your key team members. Find out what they enjoy doing outside of work and get to know them personally. Finally, let them know that you and the company care for them.
2. Contribution
Studies show employees are happiest when they know they are making a difference and helping others. But, their contribution often goes unnoticed. Metrics for measuring an employee's contribution should shift from measuring their individual performance to measuring their team's performance. How are your staff members influencing those around them? A staff member with excellent soft skills who constantly uplifts his fellow employees is an incredible asset to your team, yet this won't show up in any assessment. To help your workers feel they are contributing something meaningful, try recognizing and publicly celebrating their accomplishments as often as possible or sharing a client story that shows your employee the difference they are making in someone's life.
3. Freedom
Self-direction is the key to performance, creativity and engagement. To ensure your staff feels a sense of autonomy remind them that everything they do is a choice. Choice is power, and when your employees believe they have a choice they will become more engaged in the process. Align their choices with their values, not their fears. When we choose from fear, our actions lack power. When we choose from our values, our actions have more power, more meaning and more energy. Give your employees more flexibility to accommodate their schedules. What long-held beliefs might be blocking new win-win opportunities? Decentralize whatever authority you can to give your workers more decision-making power. This will empower them and make your company much more efficient.
4. Growth
If your staff feels they are not making progress in their own personal development, they will soon become disconnected and seek opportunities elsewhere. To help your employees grow, build confidence. Challenge any belief they might have that is limiting their performance. For example, if an employee thinks she isn't experienced enough to manage a project you can remind her of her unique strengths and capabilities.
Another way to promote growth is modeling. Have inexperienced employees watch other colleagues with similar skills perform more advanced tasks. Seeing others with similar abilities succeed at a task will help them develop positive, "can-do" beliefs.
Finally, optimize the environment. Create a vibrant, energetic, stress-free workplace that encourages your employees to get the food, exercise, rest and water their bodies need so they can perform at their best.
Today's top leaders unleash the energy and creative power of their employees by honoring these four needs. You, too, can inspire your employees to reach their full potential by making your company a place where these deeper needs will be met.
By Ascanio Pignatelli
Ascanio Pignatelli is an award-winning speaker, seminar leader, coach and author of the forthcoming book "Lead from Need." He is the founder of ApexCEO, an executive coaching and leadership development group that helps C-level executives develop the leadership and communication skills to create more engaging workplaces. To book Ascanio for your next speaking event or workshop, please call him at (310) 913-2313 or visit www.apexceo.com.