It is well known that effective workplace leadership leads to happier employees, which in turn means the company is more productive in meeting its objectives and driving growth.
Happy employees are not always easy to maintain and require leaders to drive strategy that ensures that they are catered to in a multitude of ways, from workplace environment and physical changes to the office area or building to providing services and benefits which make their lives easier and more enjoyable.
Disengagement at work results in a drop in workplace values, job security decreases and respect for management can also decline. High stress and cut-throat attitudes typically lead to a higher number of accidents, increase absences, increased stress-related illness and over 50% more effort and defects in the work occurring.
Invest in employees
Workplace leadership training should aim to inspire management to pass on the benefits of development and training onto their teams. Through investing in managers, they should better be able to identify opportunities to upskill their team and develop the wider workforce. By ensuring that employees have the opportunity to learn new skills and grow their knowledge, a business will likely notice a higher retention rate, improved attitudes to work and an increased desire to stay with the company and progress. Not only is ongoing learning a great opportunity to develop employees but it can also address skills gaps which management may notice forming, offering the capability to improve before they become a serious issue.
Flexibility for all
Too often, management is the only members of the company who are offered the capability to work flexibility and form their own schedule. However, workplace leadership training should teach leaders that flexibility is an option which can benefit everyone. Flexible working can allow people to do their work more in line with their preferred schedule.
Some people are early risers whilst others work better in the afternoon, therefore, flexible working allows for productivity to be improved by allowing people to work when they feel they are in the best mindset. Flexible working can be between set times in the day and require everyone to be contactable at specific times but it can also allow people to work remotely, from home or elsewhere and can support in developing healthy mindsets towards work.
Beyond the workplace
Engaging with the workforce in the office is important, however, ensuring that there is interaction outside of the workplace is equally as crucial. Building culture is essential to developing a healthy and effective working environment that people have a desire to come to every day.
Workplace leadership training should aim to inspire management and leaders to look at the longer-term vision of the business and consider all avenues to achieve goals such as growth and expansion. The employees are the lifeblood of the company and therefore they should identify opportunities to build better relationships, from everything like Christmas parties to wellness support. Management should look to evaluate all areas of the employee experience and even request feedback to ensure that they can make positive changes which aim to provide a happier, healthier workplace that ensures improved employee retention.