What does your team need from you?

Only 10% of UK employees are engaged at work, according to Gallup's latest State of the Global Workplace report, based on data from 2025. Globally, the figure is 20%.

That's a sobering statistic.

Engagement isn't simply about whether people are happy at work. Gallup defines engaged employees as those who are highly involved in and enthusiastic about their work and workplace.

So what can leaders do to create the conditions for people to perform at their best?

As a people manager, you have an important role to play. That doesn't mean having all the answers or constantly trying to motivate people. It means creating an environment where people have the opportunity, support and encouragement to do good work.

Here are three things your team needs from you.

1. Empower them

Give people the opportunity to think for themselves.

As a manager, it can be tempting to demonstrate your expertise by continually providing the solution or stepping in to solve the problem. But when you consistently do this, you can unintentionally create dependency.

Instead, encourage people to come up with their own solutions and ideas.

When someone asks you what they should do, try asking:

“What do you think would be the best approach?”

You don't have to leave people completely on their own. Your role is to provide the support, challenge and guidance they need while still giving them ownership.

Done consistently, this builds confidence and creates a culture where people feel able to take responsibility, suggest ideas and come forward with solutions.

And there's a benefit for you too: the more capable and confident your team becomes, the less they need you to solve every problem.

How often do you give people the answer when your role could be to help them find it for themselves?

2. Encourage them

People want to know that their contribution matters.

Yet recognition can easily become an afterthought when managers are busy focusing on deadlines, targets and the next priority.

Encouragement doesn't have to mean constant praise or saying “well done”. It can be as simple as noticing someone's contribution, acknowledging the difference they've made or taking the time to tell them specifically what they've done well.

And don't wait for a formal review or recognition scheme.

Look for the everyday moments when someone has handled a difficult situation well, supported a colleague, taken the initiative or produced work they're proud of – and let them know you've noticed.

The key is to make it genuine and specific.

What are you noticing in your team that you haven't yet taken the time to acknowledge?

3. Develop them

People need opportunities to learn, grow and stay relevant.

Development isn't just about sending someone on a course. In fact, some of the most valuable development comes from what people do as part of their day-to-day work.

Give people opportunities to stretch themselves through projects, additional responsibilities, new challenges or experiences outside their usual role.

Encourage them to learn from others too – whether that's through mentoring, coaching, professional networks or simply spending time with someone who has a different perspective or expertise.

And don't assume that development is something you have to design for people.

Ask them what they want to learn, where they want to grow and what experiences would help them get there.

When was the last time you had a conversation with each person in your team about what they want to develop?

It's not about doing more.

Empowering, encouraging and developing your team doesn't mean adding three more things to your already lengthy to-do list.

It's about looking at the way you manage people every day and considering whether your approach is helping them to become more capable, confident and engaged, or inadvertently making them more dependent on you.

Because ultimately, your role isn't to motivate your team. It's to create the conditions in which people can motivate themselves and do their best work.

So, what does your team need more of from you?