5 team engagement mistakes CIOs need to be aware of

CIOs juggle many priorities, but keeping your team engaged is critical.

An engaged team isn’t just more productive. They’re also better at identifying and tackling risks, such as cybersecurity threats, early on.

But despite good intentions, it's easy to fall into common traps that can undermine team morale and leave you exposed to potential issues.

So here's five engagement mistakes for you to keep an eye out for.

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1. Missing an ingredient in communication

Open, consistent and contextual communication are essential ingredients to building trust and fostering engagement.

Always help your team understand why certain actions can move forward while others might be delayed.

At Teamgage for example, we regularly discuss feedback with our Engineers, openly explaining why some ideas can be addressed immediately, while others may need to wait due to priorities or resourcing constraints.

Providing this context helps reduce frustration and keeps the team engaged, ensuring they stay proactive in spotting risks and further opportunities for improvement.

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2. Not managing reality

It’s easy to assume everything is going smoothly, but that’s a risky approach.

As Luke Havelberg, CIO at Flinders University, puts it: “Volatility and uncertainty are so prevalent at the minute. Let’s manage what the reality is versus what we want it to be or what we think it is.”

‍Regularly engage with your team to understand what’s really happening. That even may require a tool that allows for anonymous feedback to really get those open and honest insights you need on projects, workload and risks for example.

This ongoing feedback helps you stay connected to the pulse of your team, revealing issues and risks that might otherwise go unnoticed and unsaid.

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3. Leaving it to HR

Collecting ideas, insights and feedback from your team, and specific to your department, is essential for CIOs. Remember, this is not just a "HR thing'.

This data can be collected to align with your meeting rhythms. Questions for your team can be highly relevant to them, their role, their team and their projects.

As a CIO you will have a passion for driving results with data and technology, so make sure your people insights are just as sound.

As Michael Harrison, CIO at the Attorney-General’s Department, confirms, “The robust analytics dashboard (in Teamgage) provides a seamless breakdown of feedback, allowing us to identify strengths and areas for improvement swiftly, and then create meaningful actions.”

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4. Gaining feedback only at formal intervals

Insights and engagement should be a real-time, continuous process, not something that happens when HR have sent their annual survey or quarterly check-in.

The pace of IT demands regular, ongoing dialogue. Frequent, informal feedback sessions help keep communication open, allowing teams to address issues, including hidden risks, before they become major problems.

Short, regular huddles with space to discuss employee ideas and insights can make all the difference in keeping your team aligned and proactive.

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5. Failing to recognise employee ideas

Remember, engagement should never just be about you as CIO coming up with all the actions to improve.

Implementing employee suggestions that improve processes or enhance security will also foster a proactive culture.

When team members see their own contributions driving real change, it boosts morale and encourages others to engage.

So recognise contributions openly and act decisively on the best ideas.

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Conclusion

Avoiding these common engagement mistakes can significantly boost team morale and help you tackle risks before they escalate.

By managing reality, not leaving it to HR, recognising great ideas, maintaining a continuous dialogue and communicating clearly, CIOs can create a more engaged and resilient IT team.

Remember, it’s not just about managing technology. It’s about engaging the people who make it work.