Stop Micromanaging, Start Leading: How to Engage Your Employees

As a leader, you do not have the time to micromanage everything in your place of business. Micromanagement is very time-consuming and can take away from effective time-management. It can take you away from your core competences, and you might neglect the very tasks that you, as a leader, was appointed or self-appointed to oversee. You want to be able to engage your employees, but at the same time, you want them to work without too much oversight. Ask them things like, “Do you understand what I have just told you?” and ask them, “Do you have any questions for me?”

 

Connect and Respect

A lot of your employees have different personality types. Being a leader means being able to recognize these personality types, as well as appreciate and respect those personality types. An effective leader knows how to communicate to both, introvert and extrovert personality types. Sure, you have certain expectations from your employees, but if you meet them on their communication level, you will get more out of them than you would at having them meet your every expectation. Treat them with respect and understanding, they will bend over backwards to independently exceed your expectations. Everyone is culturally different, understand and appreciate these differences, and the same would be rendered back to you.

 

The Difference Between Introvert and Extrovert

An introvert is reserved, and they like to devote their time to their inner-passions and work to become subject-matter experts. Extroverts are very outgoing and they like to interact with people and do activities with them. There are some people who can shift between extrovert and introvert personalities, but there are very few who can do that.

Generally, introverts do not like to be chatty about anything and everything and would prefer to stay on task on topics that interest them, and extroverts are more willing to chat with anyone at any time. Recognize this personality types in your team members, and develop approaches in how to communicate with them. Not all extroverts have the same approach in how they deal and interact with people, and the same applies to introverts.

 

Employee Onboarding

Onboarding software helps increase employee engagement by enabling employees to self-onboard upon being hired. Employers who use employee onboarding software reduce the risk of errors, as the employees themselves are able to enter their own information. There are different kinds of programs, but they essentially fulfill the human resource department needs such as paperless systems and document tracking, accountability and accuracy, and streamlined authorization protocols. They foster a feedback system, provide electronic forms at a corporate, state, and federal level, and internet accessibility.

 

Face-To-Face Conversation

You have high expectations for your team or employees. You want them to perform to a standard of quality that helps promote your place of business. Whenever you talk to your team members or employees, always ensure that you are looking them in the face to ensure that they are looking at you and actively listening. If they can hear and see, and they are actively listening, they will look at you and verbally confirm. If a team member is too quiet, encourage verbal t to ensure that they understand what you expect of them. It helps to have them repeat and relay what you just told them to ensure that they are on par.

Physical Cues

It is best to have a neutral face that is relaxed, attentive, and sociable. You might scare your employers if you have an angry face or a scowl. They might misinterpret the cue and avoid eye contact and it may break their concentration on the message that you are relaying. Use hand gestures for added effect that solidifies your message, as many individuals are visual learners. If the environment is noisy, enunciate your words clearly and concisely as possible and use proper English that does not break any grammar rules.

Common Courtesy

You want to use words that seem temperamental rather than making your conversation seem derisive or tantamount to barking orders at people. Unless you are in the military, or run a government team that is involved in intense moments, you want to avoid barking orders. If you have a request, say things like, “Kindly do this…thank you.” You want to ensure that you are assertive, but not overly controlling.

You want to be mindful of people’s inherent characteristics, skills, and talents, it shows that you care. The best you can do is ensure that they see you as tolerant to a degree, passionate, understanding, sincere, open-minded, and methodological.