The Effect of Top-Down Management on Employee Engagement

There’s no denying that an engaged employee is a productive employee. What is worth denying is employee engagement is a bottom-up process driven by the very people you hope to engage; the reality is engagement in the workplace is top-down.

The bottom line? Disengaged managers create disengaged employees.

It should come as no surprise that managers have a strong influence on employee engagement. After all, they’re the ones responsible for setting job expectations, providing feedback, encouraging individual growth, building strong teams–in short, they’re who employees look to for answers. And yet, in Gallup’s “State of the American Manager” report of 2,564 U.S. managers, a mere 35 percent surveyed were found to be engaged.

How can you make the top-down effect work in your favor? Here are four tips small business owners can use to boost manager engagement, and thus employee engagement :

Actions speak louder than words–especially in the workplace. The first step to achieving a high level of engagement from managers and, subsequently, their employees is to lead by example.

The best way to set company standards and expectations is by modeling the behavior yourself. That’s what a leader is, after all–someone with the ability to influence the behaviors, attitudes, and thoughts of others.

In order to develop your managers into successful leaders, show them how it’s done. That means embodying your brand, accepting responsibility when necessary, sharing the credit, having open ears (and an open mind), promoting an honest work environment, etc. Basically, walk the talk.

One surefire way to boost anyone’s engagement at work is to help them understand how their efforts contribute to the overall success of the company. Unfortunately, recent research by Gallup revealed that only 41 percent of employees surveyed strongly agreed that they know what their company stands for and what differentiates it from competitors.

In an effort to inspire and engage managers, regularly communicate where the company is going and how it’s going to get there. Help them understand how their role supports company-wide goals and drives business success. Doing so can significantly improve individual engagement by giving more meaning to their day-to-day tasks.

It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been with a company or what role you serve; a pat on the back is always appreciated. Make a sincere effort to acknowledge or, better yet, reward individual achievements.

A simple “thank you” can make a world of difference to management. And recognizing them for their achievements can encourage them to do the same with their employees.

In addition to rewarding managers for their accomplishments, another way to emphasize their strengths is by equipping them with the tools and resources they need to further develop those strengths. For small businesses especially, it can pay off to mold managers’ jobs to best suit their talents. Playing to their strengths not only drives overall success, but also improves individual motivation and engagement.

Employees aren’t the only ones who desire career growth and development–managers are equally hungry for professional development opportunities. The Gallup report also found that people who have the opportunity to continually develop their skills are twice as likely as those on the other end of the scale to say they will spend their careers with the company.

Whether you invest in formal training programs, bring in industry leaders for lunch and learns, or give your managers time off to attend professional development events, just be sure to provide both your employees and your managers with ample opportunities to improve their skills.

Post by: Andre Lavoie

Andre Lavoie is the CEO of ClearCompany, the first talent alignment platform that bridges the gap between talent management and business strategy by contextualizing employees’ work around a company’s vision and goals. You can connect with him and the ClearCompany team on Facebook , Twitter , and LinkedIn.

Company: ClearCompany
Website: www.clearcompany.com
Connect with me on Facebook , Twitter , and LinkedIn.

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