Waking Up to Engagement
I recently discovered I am not limited to one tap at a time on my alarm’s snooze button. X number of taps gets me X times 8 minutes snooze.
My discovery delighted me. It also embarrassed me because just about everyone else probably knew that trick before they even removed their alarm clock from of its box.
Still, some of our greatest revelations come from what’s right under our noses. So, here’s what I invite you to take on and try now. Think of ways by which you might provide engagement encouragement to your people – ways that might already be growing under your feet, so close by you do not notice them.
I don’t mean you should give your folks directions or instructions or assignments that make them sit up and take on for-the-moment engagements. I do mean you should implement actions, behaviors, deeds that foster a Culture to Engage in your workplace.
Now, I’ll suggest three below, but the ideas you come up with will be so much better. Why? They are yours. You create them; you own them. Your pride of authorship, of ownership motivates you to test them, improve them if necessary, and build your Culture to Engage around them.
Feel free to choose, use, and revise these ideas:
Engagement Encouragement #1: Make eye contact. When you speak and when you listen to an individual working with you, make certain you look her in the eye. An individual knows what she says means something to you when you look her in the eye as she says it. You can also let that individual know you care about her and what you say to her if you look her in the eye as you speak.
New Orleans::
Waking up to the Tragedy of New Orleans. September 2, 2005. Maia Duerr, BPF Executive Director My practice as a socially engaged Buddhist asks me to not
http://www.bpf.org/html/resources_and_links/statements/new_orleans.htmlHOME |
Waking Up to the Real Estate Nightmare - The Caucus - Politics - New ::
and around the country and looks ahead to the 2008 presidential election. buyers and all the rest who engaged in this throw-the-dice conduct lost their bets.
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/18/waking-up-to-the-real-estate-nightmareHOME |
Engagement Encouragement #2: Communicate your expectations. To ensure that people truly engage in the work you expect of them, let them know what you expect. This conversation lets you see and hear the individual’s reactions (comprehension, acceptance, confusion, resistance...) to what you say you expect of him.
Engagement Encouragement #3: Talk about their expectations. Meaningful conversations flow in two directions. Invite the individual to share his expectations of herself and her work. Hearing her expectations gives you the chance to redirect if necessary, to clarify what needs clarification, and to congratulate on accurate perceptions.
Evidence supports that the most frequent cause of individuals’ engagement in their work is their manager, specifically the clarity with which the manager spells out and reinforces expectations. Or not. Clearly expressed and understood expectations enhance engagement; the absence of that clarity blocks engagement.
And it’s as simple as tapping the snooze button...as many times as you wish.
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Waking Up to Engagement