Moving from Individual to Team Engagement

Individual employee engagement has been associated with job satisfaction, organizational commitment, proactive behavior, and performance. Recently, scholars have proposed that work engagement is not only an individual phenomenon, but it also occurs in teams. Team engagement refers to the extent to which team members are collectively involved in performing collaborative tasks, and are emotionally connected with team mates’ work and goals.

Guchait (2016), hypothesizing that team engagement would have a positive impact on team performance and team satisfaction, conducted a study of 27 frontline service-management teams with a total of 178 members. Data were collected by administering survey questionnaires at four different time points, which were strategically chosen to be meaningful to the planning and implementation stages in the teams’ life cycle.

Research Results

Developing strong, trusting relationships is essential for effective team outcomes and individual well-being. Share via Twitter
The results of the study verified the importance of team level engagement for team effectiveness. The findings demonstrated that teamwork will be most effective when there is a common understanding about team purpose and the means to achieve that purpose, as well as specialization, knowledge distribution, and distribution of labor among the team. When engaged, team members know what is expected of them, have the support they need to do their work, have opportunities to feel fulfillment in their work, believe they are part of something significant with co-workers whom they trust, and have chances to improve and develop.

Lessons for Team Leaders

For team leaders, a clear team purpose and fostering the development of strong, trusting relationships is essential for team level engagement. In addition, investing in training team members on team work is essential, and hiring practices should ensure that individuals possess expertise in a relevant area that complements the strengths of other team members.

Guchait, P. (2016). The mediating effect of team engagement between team cognitions and team outcomes in service-management teams. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 40, 139-161. doi:10.1177/1096348013495698

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About the Author

Dr. Jeb Hurley is a leading expert on team dynamics and building high-performance hybrid / remote teams. He guides leaders in understanding and influencing human behavior and creating trust and psychological safety. Jeb’s innovative, behavioral science-based approach to leadership development improves team performance and people’s wellbeing faster and at a lower cost. Learn more about Jeb’s work at Brainware Partners.