As we’ve said before in our internal branding series, your people are your best asset. They shape every customer interaction, impact public perception of your company and have the power to increase revenue. With that in mind, it’s surprising that more companies don’t make employee engagement a priority. Taking steps to show team members how valued they are goes a long way towards increasing internal engagement, which heightens productivity and retention.
This appreciation can be communicated in a variety of ways – special perks, bonuses or professional development opportunities – but there’s a simple method that is often overlooked:
Allowing employees to be part of decision making at your company gives them a sense of ownership that results in greater satisfaction and loyalty. Taking a collaborative approach in big decisions that affect the business is smart; final judgment still lies with the C-suite, but including employees in the discussion process signals your trust for them and guarantees they won’t be shocked or resentful in the event of big changes.
In the same way, allowing employees to manage small and mid-range decisions and encouraging their collaboration gives a daily sense of responsibility that has no shortage of positive effects. It inspires more dedication to projects, because people are more personally invested in their success.
Consistently involving employees in decision making takes work, and possibly even some restructuring of culture and governance, but it’s worth it. Your empowered team will be inspired to do their best work and excited to come to work each day.
Image via (cc) University of Salford
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