Onsite Insites by SatisFacts Research 2014 - 4th Quarter | Page 7

Leaders must show that they value employees.
Employee engagement is a direct reflection of how employees feel
about their relationship with the boss. Employees look at whether
organizations and their leader walk the talk when they proclaim that,
“Our employees are our most valuable asset.”
Leaders should provide challenging and meaningful work with
opportunities for career advancement. Most people want to do new
things in their job. Good leaders challenge employees; but at the same
time, they must instill the confidence that the challenges can be met.
Leaders must communicate a clear vision. People want to understand
the vision that senior leadership has for the organization, and the goals
that leaders or departmental heads have for the division, unit, or team.
Success in life and organizations is, to a great extent, determined by
how clear individuals are about their goals and what they really want to
achieve.
Leaders clarify their expectations about employees and provide
feedback on their functioning in the organization. Good leaders
establish processes and procedures that help people master important
tasks and facilitate goal achievement.
Surveys show that, over and over, employees feel that they receive
immediate feedback when their performance is poor, or below
expectations. These same employees also report that praise and
recognition for strong performance is much less common. Exceptional
leaders give recognition, and they do so a lot; they coach and convey.
People want to know that their input matters and that they are
contributing to the organization’s success in a meaningful way. Good
leaders help people see and feel how they are contributing to the
organization’s success and future.
Employees value control over the flow and pace of their jobs and
leaders can create opportunities for employees to exercise this control.
A feeling of “being in on things,” and of being given opportunities to
participate in decision making often reduces stress; it also creates trust
and a culture where people want to take ownership of problems and
their solutions.

Studies show that, when employees work in teams and have the trust
and cooperation of their team members, they outperform individuals
and teams which lack good relationships. Great leaders are team
builders; they create an environment that fosters trust and
collaboration.
People want to be proud of their jobs, their performance, and their
organization. Leaders should strive to maintain acompany’s reputation
and demonstrate high ethical standards.
Good leaders help create confidence in a company by being exemplars
of high ethical and performance standards.