How Do You Know a Good Leader When You See One? They Will Do Any of These 5 Things

Engaged employees are 17 percent more productive and 21 percent more profitable.

Engaged employees are your strongest asset. In times of disruption, this is even truer. According to Gallup, engaged employees consistently outperform their colleagues by solving new problems, innovating, and creating new customers. Overall, engaged employees are 17 percent more productive and 21 percent more profitable.

Gallup recommends companies prioritize engaging employees to create sustained growth. However, making sure you have a workforce that isn’t distracted can be difficult to achieve, but it must be core to your business strategy to remain competitive.

Here are a few ways to do it in the coronavirus age.

1. Maintain clear and consistent communication

During this time of upheaval, employees have more on their mind than day-to-day activities, which can cause them to lose focus. To keep them grounded at work, maintain a constant and open line of communication — whether through regular updates over email or Slack, or semi-regular town hall meetings. This allows employees to keep productivity high and reassures them during an uncertain period.

2. Create connection with employees

Laurie Schultz, president and CEO of Galvanize, kept a CEO diary that she shared daily with employees for the first three months of the outbreak. In the diary, she detailed her perspective on the business landscape as well as anecdotes about how the outbreak was affecting her personally.

For example, Schultz shared in one entry, “As terrible as this situation is, I do find myself feeling very bonded with the world as we unite together to do the right thing.”

Schultz said, “People want to feel safe and secure. Daily, authentic and human communication allows you to build trust — reassuring people through regular check-ins — rather than having them fill in the blanks.”

Read more: inc