Page 103 - Build a Culture of Employee Engagement with the Principles

74 Carrots and Sticks Don’t Work

there is something special about their team, department, or
business unit. Again, the more people respect and take pride in
their group, the harder they will work to help the group achieve
success. Without creating conflicts among departments, is there
a particular area your employees can be recognized for and feel
good about? Thus, look for “low-hanging fruit” opportunities
that could boost the self-esteem of your team members. In gen-
eral, always be on the lookout for ways to make people feel good
about and take pride in their organization.

Respect for the Supervisor
The more employees respect their supervisor, the more engaged
they will be in their work. Several factors affect employees’
perceptions, beginning with the supervisor’s own work ethic.
Employees respect and work hard for competent and hardwork-
ing supervisors. Supervisors who are promoted from within an
organization are often highly respected and credible because
they have done the jobs of their employees and can offer tan-
gible assistance. This is particularly important when it comes
to giving employees corrective feedback and conducting perfor-
mance evaluations.
Supervisors also gain respect when they are strong enough
to hold the line and do the right thing in the face of opposition.
Employees want a supervisor who is a leader willing to stand
up to upper management and who uses his or her influence for
the betterment of the team and organization. Particularly in dif-
ficult times, supervisors gain respect for holding teams together
and for focusing their teams on working together to accomplish
their goals.
To be respected, supervisors must be viewed as fair, trust-
worthy, honest, committed, and compassionate. They must pos-
sess sufficient interpersonal and communication skills to develop