Today’s workforce crisis indicates a need to reevaluate how we are engaging our teams, it is more imperative than ever to prioritize employee satisfaction. In order to create an environment where employees feel supported and satisfied in their work, leaders must develop and deploy their emotional intelligence skills to enable more meaningful interactions with their employees in a psychologically safe space. Prioritizing employee engagement is a low-cost and effective way to build high functioning teams who are motivated to deliver results. Successful and effective leaders use emotional intelligence to cultivate a culture of trust and respect within their teams by being aware of their needs and demonstrating compassion. Once leaders are aware of what their employees need to be successful, then they can start turning those ideas into reality.

One easy tool that has been used to engage staff and make them feel valued is the “What Matters To You?” tool. “What Matters To You (WMTY)?” is an international person-centered care movement focused on shifting traditional power dynamics and focusing on the needs of the person you are trying to support. Using WMTY in a staff-centered approach allows employees to speak up, identify the support they need, and what brings them satisfaction while doing their job. This can be done by asking staff open-ended questions focused on “what matters.” When leaders listen, demonstrate conscientiousness, and make their staff’s opinions feel valued they create a workplace culture of trust and respect.

Getting started can feel intimidating. Try asking your one person on your team a questions below and grow from there: 

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• What does your ideal workplace environment look like?
• What is the biggest barrier in achieving your ideal workplace environment?
• What is the biggest challenge in finding satisfaction at work?
• What matters most to you in your role?
• What change would make the highest positive impact in your role?

Integrating person-centered tools like “What Matters to You?” creates teams that have equal voice by design, increasing satisfaction, retention, and engagement.

If you need more help, or want to read our top tips, reach out to info@goshadow.org

Sources: https://www.forbes.com/sites/glennllopis/2012/09/24/5-ways-to-lead-with-emotional-intelligence-and-boost-productivity/?sh=6e79097984cc

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