First To Engage
First To Engage
4 tactics for employee engagement
By Raymond White
How do you get everyone engaged in the same mission and moving in a unified direction as a team? How do you move each employee from being micro-focused on their part of the pie and move their focus towards being an active participant in the movement that’s bigger than them?
I come from a sports background. All my life, I have been on teams where everyone was doing their part to achieve the ultimate goal of winning a championship.
And if you have played a sport yourself, or have an understanding of the industry, you know that there is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to get ready to play a game.
The practice. The repetitions. The learning. The grind.
There was a reason why I decided to go through all that. Sure, the wins, the accolades, the success all were factors in me sticking with it. But one of the major areas of motivation were the coaches who engaged me early on and helped me find my zone for me to be successful.
If it wasn’t for those coaches, and I was forced to figure it all out on my own, I am not sure if I would have stuck around, because I would have been frustrated or complacent with mediocrity.
I have those coaches to thank, because their engagement shaped the way that I engage the staff that I lead.
Before I stepped into a formal leadership position, I thought that every employee was automatically engaged. Maybe my personality allows me to see how my work impacts the mission and vision of the company, so I assumed that everyone would be as engaged as I would be.
It turns out that is not the case. Every individual is motivated by a different factor to show up at work: money, recognition, “stability,” influence.
So I had to quickly re-calibrate my engagement strategy to increase the engagement of the team I oversee. Otherwise, my style of leadership and unrealistic expectations would not sit well with the staff and I might fail them as a leader.
I wanted to emulate those same coaches, who kept me playing the game, in my style of leadership.
I had to learn to see my team's desires, aspirations, skills, and talents to place them in positions that will make them and the organization successful.
Success can be achieved when team members find their zone and their work is contributing to the greater mission. They can see themselves in what we are trying to do.
A factor of leadership is to set the tone, culture, and environment for staff to thrive. It doesn’t magically happen; it is an action that is intentionally cultivated through attitude, words, and actions.
And as a young, new leader, there’s an extra layer of difficulty with increasing engagement. The odds are highly likely that they get a new leader every year, so the team has a tough time getting their voices heard. Frequent change can cause staff to be jaded, and think that you are not going to last.
I did not want this to be my story. And it should not be yours either!
If you are finding yourself struggling with increasing your level of engagement with your team, I am here to tell you that there is hope!
At its core, if you want your team to be engaged, you have to model what engagement looks like yourself.
When you do so, you will see a higher involvement with staff on how to structure initiatives that generate success. You will see a greater effort in following through because you are showing them that they are valuable and can shape the culture for the better.
Be The First!
Defy those odds by being the first to implement these engagement tactics with your team:
1. Initiative - Am I engaging the staff first?
You can’t wait when it comes to getting the team involved and connected. It is on you to be the one that talks with them about it. Round in their area often. Schedule intentional 1-to-1’s with them on a frequent basis. Ask them about the things they value, or what they see as pain points in their day-to-day. Don’t let them come to you, you go to them!
2. Invite - Am I create space for them at the table?
Your staff want to be heard, but sometimes there are perceived barriers in speaking up when they have fear of retaliation or think that their voice is not valued. Similarly to going first in engaging them, you have to create space for their contributions to shape the direction of the team. Invite them to strategy meetings. Ask them pointed questions on their thoughts on certain decisions and watch their confidence rise in how to take appropriate action.
3. Inspire - Do I encourage them to strive for excellence?
Inspiration to take action is powerful. That’s not to say you need to give a motivational speech at every team meeting. What it does mean is that you are highlighting how their work is impacting the greater mission and encouraging them to continue forward. That means giving them specific praise where you see fit. Or it could mean carrying their names forward to upper leadership on how their work is making a difference. Those actions would increase engagement because you are encouraging them to move in the right direction.
4. Invest - Am I equipping them to succeed?
You have to show that you want them to succeed by creating a space for them to develop. Providing opportunities to continue their learning will reciprocate their desire to reinvest that knowledge in their work for the team’s success.
You are in a position of great impact!
Be the first to engage with your team and see how much engagement you will receive from them! I guarantee that it will be greater than not engaging with them now!
Reflective questions:
What are some ways you increase engagement from your teams?
How will you implement one of the four actions listed above?
Raymond White loves to engage, equip, and encourage emerging leaders and their efforts to develop thriving teams. You can follow him on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn!
