Rethinking Employee Engagement

Greetings.  Leaders often lament that it is just too difficult to engage employees and get them to be fully involved and vested in the lives of our companies and organizations.  But is it the employee's fault?  Or have we failed to create a more powerful connection between their genius and our success?

Here's a straightforward idea for changing the equation…

Rethink your approach to employee engagement by giving everyone the opportunity to be the "entrepreneur" of their job.  

And here are six steps to make it happen…

1. Start by painting a clearer and more compelling picture of the future of your business and why its work really matters to the customers or citizens you serve.
2. Then, ask each employee to describe their role and its importance to your overall success.
3. Next, let them know that you believe in them and their ability to do even more remarkable things.  
4. Now, challenge them to rethink their job and to imagine how they might create even greater value for their customers–whether those customers are inside or outside your organization.
5. Then, ask them to develop an engaging plan for making the changes they envision that identifies the resources, support, and collaboration required as well as the return on "investment."
6. Finally, give them the tools they need to succeed and the encouragement to keep raising the bar.

And don't take "NO" for an answer.  We learned from the amazing white guys swimming slowly (see the post from December 2nd) that there's always a better way to do the things that really matter.  So now is your chance to create a culture of greater engagement and innovation with one small and powerful idea!

We win in business and in life when we believe in those around us and give them the chance to shine.  Are you ready to engage your colleagues in new and better ways?  If so, you might be pleasantly surprised by the result!

Cheers!