Your employees talk about you. They talk to their colleagues, friends and family about your leadership and what it’s like to work in your organization. They talk about you on social media sites like Glassdoor, where current or former employees anonymously rate their companies and speak to the pros and cons of the work environment.
Employees can review CEOs and other business leaders, as well as indicate if they would recommend your organization as a place to work. Here you might see comments like: “I’ve never met my supervisor’s boss!” “Leadership is out of touch. They live in a bubble!”
The fact is, as a leader, your visible commitment and involvement is a driving factor in shaping a motivating and engaging workplace. And, your ability to communicate a compelling mission and vision — and your explicit personal demonstration of engagement as a priority — all have an impact on your organization’s work environment.
Unfortunately, in Gallup’s 2017 State of the American Workplace, clear warning bells are raised. Their latest research indicates that employees have limited belief in their company’s leadership. Here are some of the unsettling statistics about how employees view leaders:
Only 22% of employees strongly agree that the leadership of their organization has a clear direction for the organization.
Only 15% of employees strongly agree that the leadership of their organization makes them enthusiastic about the future.
Only 13% of employees strongly agree that the leadership of their organization communicates effectively with the rest of the organization.
Are you in touch with your employees? Do you know how they feel about their work environment? How can you stay in tune with what it’s really like to work in your organization?