Engagement
The last article in our 6-part series, How to Make Your Company the Best Place to Work, speaks to engagement. What does a company look like if they have made it to this level?
Genuine engagement is the culmination of all that has been discussed. It is the result of clarity and transparency generating safety and trust within your company. It includes a thorough understanding of your own biases and taking the time to know your employees’ strengths. It is committed diligence to ensure that your employees and customers feel connected to your company’s mission and that teams are working together in a collaborative and innovative manner. It is asking if your stakeholders feel valued and heard.
EDITOR’S NOTE: SEE PART 5 AND PRIOR BELOW
Everyone wants to feel connected and purposeful. It is what numerous happiness studies reveal as primary. When employees feel satisfaction and connection to their work, their team, and your company, you have a happy and engaged company culture! This is done intentionally, by design – not by chance. Engaged and loyal stakeholders create agile, nimble and resilient organizations. However, the ingredients of employee engagement need to be taught, modeled and practiced within a company. It requires, “harnessing the heart and empowering the minds” of your employees – at every level.
Engagement and an intentional culture that supports engagement are not static. Culture is dynamic and will grow and change with the company, and it is the responsibility of leadership to continually create the company culture you intend. It requires understanding the basic needs of humans, from the inside out, and building it into the fabric of your organization.
You, as the leader, have to decide, then define, and design. This is what is meant by an intentional and purpose-driven company culture.
Tools for genuine engagement to increase retention, productivity and reduce turnover:
- It is a process. Learn the essential ingredients in our ACE video series – How to Become the Best Place to Work – delivered to your inbox in biz-size segments over the next two weeks.
This Week’s Action Steps:
- So, after learning more about what is necessary to create a fully engaged workforce, how would you grade your company(A, A-, B, B-, C, C-, D, D-, F)?
- What opportunities do you see to increase engagement?
