“When it’s within your power to do good for others, why not do so?”
As a leader, “do good for others” means taking intentional actions that positively impact the lives of those around you—showing care, empathy, and support while deliberately helping others meet their career vision and goals.
Why Doing Good Matters in Business
According to Gallup’s State of the Global Workplace report, the percentage of engaged employees globally—those who feel involved in and enthusiastic about their work—remains at 23%. Conversely, 62% of employees are not engaged—those who show up, do the bare minimum and are uninspired by their work. The remaining 15% are actively disengaged, those who perceive they have a bad manager or a miserable job and are actively seeking a new role.
Gallup has found that managers’ interpersonal relationships with their team members significantly influence employee engagement. Interpersonal relationships grounded in respect, positivity, and a curiosity to help team members discover, affirm, and mine their unique talents inspire higher levels of employee engagement.
The essence of these interpersonal relationships is the heart and head to do good for others.
9 Ways Managers Can “Do Good for Others”
Managers are empowered to create an environment that fuels higher levels of employee engagement. Why? Because you are the cultivators and keepers of the culture for the functions within your control.
The following are quick hit “do good” actions:
Be Inspirational
- Show Empathy and Care. Understand the personal and professional challenges your team members face. Ask about their well-being, listen carefully, and offer support as appropriate. Encourage a healthy balance between work and life, recognizing that team members replicate modeled behaviors.
- Lead with Fairness. Lead with equity and fairness in all team interactions. Avoid favoritism and ensure everyone has access to opportunities for advancement, recognition, and feedback.
- Encourage Development: Offer team members training, mentorship, and stretch assignments. Give employees a chance to step outside their comfort zones and take on new responsibilities to push them beyond their comfort zones, allowing them to develop new skills and build confidence.
- Make Learning Continuous. Nurture a culture where mistakes are growth opportunities rather than fatal failures. Make it possible for employees to feel safe to innovate and take calculated risks without fear of punishment.
- Provide Meaningful Feedback. Aim never to surprise the team members with the insights gained during a performance review. Offer timely affirmative (what is working well) and constructive feedback (what needs to improve) that is repeatable or actionable. Ensure that feedback is balanced, acknowledging strengths while helping team members develop in areas of improvement.
Demonstrate Vulnerability
- Welcome Open Communication. Allow team members to express their authentic perspectives, ideas, concerns, and feedback without fear of reprisal or judgment. Respond thoughtfully and, when possible, act on their input. Even if you can’t implement every idea, acknowledge their contributions to create a sense of ownership and shared purpose.
- Remain Approachable: Regularly check in with your team in group and 1:1 meetings and casual conversations to understand how they’re feeling, their challenges, and how you can support them. Listen and adjust as needed.
- Model Authenticity. Normalize the vulnerability of being human with imperfections. Be honest about professional mistakes, challenges, struggles, and lessons learned through these experiences. In doing so, you offer the gift for team members to take risks, challenge themselves, learn, and invest in their growth.
Express Appreciation
- Acknowledge and Celebrate. Don’t speed pass “GO” to the next opportunity without pausing to appreciate success. Recognize your team’s hard work, including big and small wins, to show appreciation, motivate continued effort, boost morale, and build an engaged workplace culture.
Call to Action
Which actions will you focus on over the next month? How will you evaluate your effectiveness?
You don’t have to go it alone. Let us work with you to develop and implement your strategies. Contact us for a complimentary conversation.
Lillian Davenport, SPHR, SHRM – SCP, MGSCC, Principal, End View LeadershipSM
