{"id":4727,"date":"2022-03-29T09:50:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-29T07:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/?p=4727"},"modified":"2025-10-22T11:36:34","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T09:36:34","slug":"meaningful-leadership-new-model-employee-engagement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/meaningful-leadership-new-model-employee-engagement\/","title":{"rendered":"Meaningful Leadership: A New Model For Employee Engagement"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-become-a-manager-with-a-difference\">Become a manager with a difference<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you remember how you felt on the first day of your first job?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When first-time employees join your company, they\u2019re passionate, eager, excited, and perhaps a bit overwhelmed. These early levels of stress-induced productivity have been proven not to last. After six months, approximately 85 percent of companies noticed that morale dropped sharply for new employees. This decline has been attributed to employees:<sup>1<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Not feeling engaged with the team<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Not seeing the value of their work<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Not finding their work mentally stimulating<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Not feeling heard<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Being distracted by feelings of anxiety, depression, or anger<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Feeling as though perks, benefits, and pay are unfair<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-can-you-improve-employee-engagement\">How can you improve employee engagement?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-implement-research-backed-techniques\">Implement research-backed techniques<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In order to help employees remain engaged and improve morale, there are many techniques and strategies that can be utilized to sustain employee engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stanford Professor, Jeffrey Pfeffer, who is considered one of today\u2019s most influential <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-strategic-business-management-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">management<\/a> thinkers, attributes the responsibility of this employee unhappiness to management:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cWithout data, it is impossible to manage anything, including employee well-being and engagement. That\u2019s why it\u2019s critical to be smart about gathering feedback,\u201d Pfeffer says. \u201cRecently, Gallup published five \u2018pulse\u2019 survey questions that any company can use to make sure they\u2019re meeting the needs of their workers during this crisis. If management is failing to properly communicate or build confidence among employees, they can rethink and test out new strategies and practices before soliciting more feedback down the road.\u201d<sup>2<\/sup><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>You have the opportunity as a leader to implement research-backed techniques that will not only ensure an engaged and productive team, but also will grow your abilities as a people manager.<\/p>\n\n\n<div>\n            <!-- Responsive picture tag -->\n        <picture class=\"picture-block\">\n            <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/getsmarter_blog_desktop-graph1_meaningful-leadership-a-new-model-for-employee-engagement_750px.png\" >\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/getsmarter_blog_mobile-graph1_meaningful-leadership-a-new-model-for-employee-engagement_400px.png\" alt=\"\">\n        <\/picture>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-show-your-employees-appreciation-and-recognition\">Show your employees appreciation and recognition<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Taken from Dan Ariely\u2019s book, Payoff: The Hidden Logic That Shapes Our Motivations, Ariely speaks about an experiment conducted at Intel in Israel.<sup>3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Employees at Intel received one of three emails at the beginning of the week, each saying something different:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>You\u2019ll get a cash bonus.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Your boss will give you a rare compliment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You\u2019ll get a voucher for free pizza.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>After the first day, those who received the pizza email showed a 6.7% increase in productivity, and those who received the email about getting a compliment increased their productivity by 6.6%. The monetary bonus only saw a 4.9% increase in productivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By the end of the week, the recipients of the monetary bonus had a drop in productivity as that group of employees performed worse than those in the other groups.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So what can you learn from this case study? People are not motivated by money alone. In fact, an appreciative boss was found to inspire 81 percent of employees to work harder.<sup>4<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n<div>\n            <!-- Responsive picture tag -->\n        <picture class=\"picture-block\">\n            <source media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/getsmarter_blog_desktop-graph2_meaningful-leadership-a-new-model-for-employee-engagement_750px-1.png\" >\n            <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/04\/getsmarter_blog_mobile-graph2_meaningful-leadership-a-new-model-for-employee-engagement_400px-1.png\" alt=\"\">\n        <\/picture>\n    <\/div>\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-use-communication-to-build-a-strong-team-through-employee-engagement\">Use communication to build a strong team through employee engagement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A study from MIT\u2019s Human Dynamics Laboratory revealed the most important element of predicting the success of a team is how well the team communicates with each other and with their <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/udayton-leadership-development-program\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">manager<\/a>. Three simple communication strategies you can implement right now include:<sup>5<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>1. Build energy<\/strong><br>There are many ways employees can communicate. Energy, in this instance, describes how many and what kinds of communication happens between members of a team. Face-to-face communication was the most effective, followed by phone and video calls. Least effective were email and text. Managers and other employees can increase energy by seeking face-to-face communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>2. Encourage engagement<\/strong><br>When team members communicate in high-energy ways, this energy is distributed across the team. Better engagement happens when there is strong communication. One way engagement can be encouraged is by scheduling breaks for the whole team at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>3. Communicate with other teams<\/strong><br>Teams perform at a higher level when members explore by engaging with those outside of their teams. This can be done by seating teams near one another for lunch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-encourage-team-based-microcultures\">Encourage team-based microcultures<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The culture of a team within an organization is incredibly important when setting the stage for success. When the workplace is broken down into small teams, the culture of each team needs to be nurtured. Then, as the teams come together, they will continue working for the greatest good and the good of the company. By having dynamic and small culture groups, a company can be agile, efficient, and energetic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>\u201cMarcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall have shown that people tend to care much less about which firm they work for than about which team they\u2019re on,\u201d Nicolas Lovegrove of Harvard Business Review says.&#8221;<sup>6<\/sup><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>As a manager and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/oxford-executive-leadership-programme\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">leader<\/a>, you need to <strong>set the tone of the culture<\/strong> in your team. Some employee engagement ideas include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Encouraging a culture of inclusivity<sup>7<\/sup><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reshuffling seating arrangements to encourage employees to interact<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Creating projects or tasks that require the whole team to work together<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sitting with the clique during a lunch break and inviting someone who\u2019s often excluded<sup>8<\/sup><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-does-successful-people-management-look-like\">What does successful people management look like?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If you, as a manager, step into work every day with the primary goal of contributing to the organization\u2019s success, your first <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/products\/uct-strategic-business-management-online-short-course\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">strategic management<\/a> task of the day should be to head straight to your team: establishing a unified culture, engaging with them, meeting with them, and recognizing their contributions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to create <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/blog\/the-importance-of-developing-leadership-skills-in-an-ever-changing-workplace\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">meaningful leadership within your organization<\/a>? Nurture forward-thinking managers with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/subject-matter\/leadership-and-interpersonal-skills\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">online short courses<\/a> from the world\u2019s leading universities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\"><strong>Nurture forward-thinking managers with online short courses from the world&#8217;s leading universities.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-16018d1d wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-fill\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.getsmarter.com\/subject-matter\/leadership-and-interpersonal-skills\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Browse leadership programs<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"accordion\">\n<div class=\"card\">\n<div id=\"headingOne\" class=\"card-header\">\n<h6 class=\"mb-0\"><button class=\"btn\" style=\"background-color: transparent;\" data-toggle=\"collapse\" data-target=\"#sources\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-controls=\"sources\"> <strong>Click here to view sources<\/strong> <\/button><\/h6>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"sources\" class=\"collapse\" aria-labelledby=\"headingOne\" data-parent=\"#accordion\">\n<div class=\"card-body\">\n<ul class=\"mx-0\" style=\"list-style: none;\">\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>1<\/sup> (Jun, 2020) \u20186 Reasons why even good employees lose motivation\u2019. Retrieved from  <a href=\"https:\/\/primalogik.com\/blog\/6-reasons-why-even-good-employees-lose-motivation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Primalogik<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>2<\/sup>  Pfeffer, J. (Apr, 2020). \u2018Jeffrey Pfeffer: COVID-19 changes everything \u2013 and nothing \u2013 about managing workers\u2019. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gsb.stanford.edu\/insights\/jeffrey-pfeffer-covid-19-changes-everything-nothing-about-managing-workers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Insights by Stanford Business<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>3<\/sup> (May, 2021). \u2018Science says pizza can make you more productive at work\u2019. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.menshealth.com.au\/science-says-pizza-can-make-you-more-productive-at-work\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Australian Men\u2019s Health<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>4<\/sup> Gostock, A. &amp; Elton, C. (Mar, 2020). \u2018Opinion: The 1 thing workers want more of \u2013 and it\u2019s not money\u2019. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marketwatch.com\/story\/the-1-thing-workers-want-more-of-and-its-not-money-2020-03-05\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">MarketWatch<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>5<\/sup> (Oct, 2020). \u2018Common characteristics of high-performing teams\u2019. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.act.com\/blog\/gb\/high-performing-teams\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Act<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>6<\/sup>  Lovegrove, N. (Dec, 2020). \u20183 Tenets of a strong remote culture\u2019. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/hbr.org\/2020\/12\/3-tenets-of-a-strong-remote-culture\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Harvard Business Review<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>7<\/sup> Khanjani, N. (Jan, 2022). \u2018Fostering a culture of inclusion from the start\u2019. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/forbesbusinesscouncil\/2022\/01\/18\/fostering-a-culture-of-inclusion-from-the-start\/?sh=5a057725521a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forbes<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n<li class=\"mb-4\"><sup>8<\/sup> Herrick, J. (Nd). \u2018Why team lunches need to be a part of your work culture\u2019. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.benchmarkone.com\/blog\/team-lunches-small-business-culture\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Benchmark One<\/a>. Accessed January 19, 2022.<\/li>\n  \n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your success as a manager is defined by their productivity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":74,"featured_media":41195,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[122],"article-format":[],"class_list":["post-4727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career-advice","tag-business-management"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.2 (Yoast SEO v26.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Strategies &amp; Ideas to Improve Employee Engagement | GetSmarter Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"What does a successful people manager&#039;s team look like? 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