Innovation Blog

Creating a Culture That Engages and Empowers (and Keeps!) Your People

Illustration of people growing like plants

If you are a manager, director, supervisor or in any other management position, your role should be that of a mentor and a leader. Here’s why.

Managers set the tone for their business, developing a culture that helps attract the right people. But it can also be the reason why people leave. So, you need to create and keep a culture that engages and empowers people — one that will ultimately breed success.

That environment should outline expectations, provide empowerment, encourage recognition, and offer a balance of challenges and opportunities. Employees who feel engaged, important, valued and who see opportunity for growth are happier, more productive and more focused.

Employees also look to their managers for direction, guidance and inspiration, whether they ask for it or not, making your efforts at “leading by example” all that more important. Most people want to be a part of something bigger. And, with continuous process improvements, efficiency and profitability requiring a buy-in from everyone on your team, that is all the more reason to engage and empower your people.

While there is a laundry list of adjectives to describe good managers, including being approachable, trustworthy, positive, personable, understanding, patient, consistent and supportive, here are a few suggested best practices that will help unify and strengthen your team.

Tell your team often that you appreciate them, through your words and actions. Don’t take the people around you for granted.
Encourage individual input, but also provide the opportunity for “group think.” There is power in numbers.
Listen well and encourage “thinking outside of the box.”
Give credit where it’s due; go heavy on shining the light on accomplishments.
Guide, coach, offer advice, and help bring out the best in your people. In turn, they will go above and beyond to achieve their goals and make you proud.

Every proactive effort you make to create a cohesive, gratifying company culture will result in satisfied and motivated employees who are fully engaged in your mission, take ownership of their role, and will work as a team to build your business and elevate its success.