Six quick wins to engage your team

Written on the 12th of March 2012 by Sue Langley

1. Catch people doing something well and offer recognition. Be specific so they know you noticed and care. Praise effort and behaviour you want team members to do more of.
2. Look out for the positive/negative ratio in your team. Positive, effective teams have a ratio of 5:1 positive language to negative. Catch negative language in yourself and others.
3. Play to your team’s strengths. Divide roles and tasks to allow people to use and build their strengths. Encourage them to balance tasks that de-energise them with activities that energise them.
4. Communicate the meaning and purpose behind decisions to keep people connected to the big picture.
5. Ask your team for input and ideas. This will increase their sense of autonomy and capacity to make choices around decisions that affect them.
6. Manage your own emotions to ensure you communicate authentically and congruently to keep people engaged through change.

Sue Langely is a sought-after speaker, facilitator and master trainer in emotional intelligence, positive psychology and the neuroscience of leadership. Considered one of the leaders in Australia in the practical workplace application of these fields, Sue is CEO of Emotional Intelligence Worldwide and the author of Positive Relationships at Work, in Positive Relationships by Sue Roffey (Springer, 2012).