There’s a difference between an employee who shows up to do a job because he/she needs to make a living and someone who is fully engaged in the work, in the business. People who are fully engaged because they have high agency are rare, and you should do everything you can to keep them. In most cases, people who are engaged in their work are because the organization created the conditions for them to be fully engaged.

As a leader, how do you drive employee engagement?

There are many ways: clear expectations, recognition and rewards, career development opportunities, and inclusive culture.

All good. But, let’s get strategic. The most powerful way to drive employee engagement is contribution and ownership. Simply put, your employees will be highly engaged if they feel like they contribute to the mission and own the outcomes of their jobs.

How do you do that? A simple way is to ask them “What sucks, what works, how would you do it better” and include them in implementing the solution. Most businesses don’t care to ask their employees for ideas, much less to point things out that suck. So, doing so will surprise employees.

This is your chance to get them engaged!

As a business leader, do you prefer your employees come to work and give everything they have or just to collect a paycheck? The people who show up to collect a paycheck never stand out, they’re tick off a list of tasks and call it a day. The people who show up to give everything they have are the complete opposite. They bring energy, enthusiasm, and initiative. They notice problems and develop solutions. They take on extra work without asking for anything in return. As I said, these are high-agency people, and you want as many of them as you can.

These people affect culture in positive ways, raise standards, increase productivity, improve customer satisfaction, and impact the bottom line. As a leader, that’s what you want.

With that said, do yourself and your business a favor and go ask employees these questions to light the fire:

These questions Brad Jacobs asks every employee are great for a company and a family pic.twitter.com/VOU5QMZzpp

— David Senra (@FoundersPodcast) July 20, 2024 

Bottom line: Engaged employees are those who are emotionally and mentally invested in their work and the success of the organization. Remember, happy employees, equal happy customers. As a leader, you are leaving value on the table if you ignore this powerful idea.