Recognize the right behaviors to get the right results...

·      Engaged is the business buzz word these days.

·      It’s what we want our employees to be or do.

·      But is there a clear definition for that?

·      And can it be measured?

 

Back when I was working, we wanted our employees involved in things – so, we created a wide-ranging volunteerism program and could clearly see its tangible and measurable results. But it’s often hard to see or quantify employee engagement. Hold that thought. Tonight, I attended a “Beginning Music Festival” at my granddaughter’s Middle School. I was pleasantly surprised to see how many students were engaged in either the Band, the Orchestra, or the Choir. This was their 2^nd recital this school year – in front of faculty, parents, and visiting adjudicators[1] from other schools. Each ensemble performed two pieces designed to show how much they’d learned and progressed at this point in the school year. It was easy to assess their talent, teamwork, and enthusiasm. Bottom line: each student chose what they wanted to participate in, actively participated in the learning, coaching, and practice it took to achieve a demonstrable level of achievement and had an opportunity to showcase their efforts. Now, back to employee engagement: celebrate the importance of every employee’s job, make sure they’re trained, give them the time to practice, provide the necessary tools to perform effectively, then let them curate great customer experiences. And don’t forget a round of applause when it all comes together as expected. Strike up the band for employee engagement today.

 

Dr. Timothy Clark (born 1964): Organizational anthropologist, author[2], and founder/CEO of LeaderFactor who pioneered the field of data-driven cultural transformation.

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[1] An Adjudicator is a visiting music teacher who critiques each ensemble’s performance

[2] The 5 Ways That Highly Engaged Employees are Different

Make the workplace an inspiring place...

·      It’s horrible to go to work and hate it.

·      It’s terrible that managers allow that.

·      All of us are responsible to stop that.

 

Years ago, I heard James Clifton (President of Gallup) speak about the high percentage of people who disliked their work so much that they stole from them. I was shocked – I had worked for 10 years to make Wynn one of the most admired companies in America and never thought that something like that was going on around me. Today’s authors state that it’s now reaching epidemic levels: “people going to work at jobs they dislike, supervised by people who don’t care about them, and directed by senior leaders who are often clueless about where to take the company.” This amazes me – I think it’s so easy to know your employees, to understand their needs, to have robust two-way communications with them, to design processes and cultures that enable their best efforts, to catch them doing things right, to send them home each night full of pride, and welcome them back the next day full of hope and excitement. To treat them as equals in the articulation and achievement of our shared goals; to trust and respect them as we would want them to trust and respect us. Work should make them feel good about themselves.  If you’re a leader, make that your overarching objective today!

 

Leigh Branham and Mark Hirschfeld: Authors of the book Re-Engage: How America’s Best Places to Work Inspire Extra Effort in Extraordinary Times https://www.amazon.com/Re-Engage-Americas-Places-Inspire-Extraordinary/dp/0071703101

Be a role model for caring...

·      Employees are like every other person you know.

·      They want to be treated with respect.

·      What’s so hard about that?

 

I don’t get it when companies say they don’t know what their employees want. Or why they’re not engaged. Employees engage with employers and brands when they’re treated as humans worthy of respect. Period! That’s a concept that’s been talked about, studied, and verified countless times in the past 40 years and yet some companies still complain about being unable to find or retain employees that are engaged. Those same companies often stop at raising wages, hoping that’s all it takes to satisfy employees. Come on: money’s not the issue! Of course, it can be if employees aren’t treated fairly, listened to, and treated with respect. This is where emotional intelligence fits into this equation – it’s the best way to let employees know that management cares about them. This is not rocket science! Show them you care and ask them to care too. You may be surprised they’ll then start to get engaged today.

 

Meghan M. Biro: Founder of TalentCulture known as for being a management and HR tech brand strategist, analyst, digital catalyst, author, and speaker. 

Dive into something you believe in...

·      I was going to write about how much I loved my career.

·      And how much all those people I hired loved theirs.

·      But you’ve heard all that before. So…

 

I was recently elected president of our little 15-family homeowners’ association. I’ve thrown myself into this work like it was opening a new casino – I’m out walking the circle every day, talking to neighbors, re-writing bylaws, helping secure a neighborhood grant from the city, and countless other little things. I’m into this and believe in it with all my heart. I guess that’s just the way I am. So tonight, when my 90-year-old neighbor called to tell me his son’s dog (who was visiting him) got loose and asked if I would help, I said “of course”! I ran out, found this 100-lb doodle sitting in my driveway, put a leash on him, and when he immediately lurched away, I did a face plant straight into the pavement. 3-hours later, I’m home from the urgent care with glue holding the gash over my eye together. There are several other contusions and aches, but I love helping others. The moral of this story – whatever you do, do it with all your heart, because doing the stuff you love is the best way to live your life. Throw yourself into something you believe in today.

 

Dale Carnegie (1888 – 1955): American writer and lecturer, and the developer of courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, corporate training, public speaking, and interpersonal skills.

Inspire your team with the right information...

·  ·      It’s one thing to know your company’s mission statement.

·      It’s another to know it’s strategic goals and objectives.

·      Employees need that information to be effective.

 

Most employee surveys identify communications as something that could and should be improved. As in: “I am usually the last to know something important that affects the company and me”. Like: the company’s goals and objectives, what they are, and my responsibilities in achieving them. Most leaders have objectives they’re responsible for achieving – like increased profits, customer satisfaction scores, and employee retention – those should be shared with managers, supervisors, and front-line employees. Employees at all levels can affect those objectives – by explaining what they are and how they can support them with their work, you’ll have a greater likelihood of achieving them. That’s why it’s so important to connect the dots between individual roles and the goals of the organization. Go back to what I said about employee survey data: why would you not share this information on a regular basis with your employees. Include them in planning, on-going discussions, requests for suggestions, and regular updates and feedback.  Also from the article by the Blanchard’s: “When people see these connections, they get a lot of energy out of work; they feel the importance, dignity, and meaning in their job.” That’s why it’s important to connect all the dots today.

 

Ken Blanchard and Scott Blanchard: American management consultants; from their Fast Company Article titled “Do People Really Know What You Expect from Them?”

Take a good look in the mirror...

·      Late at night, when you’re all alone, the truth is your only friend.

·      That’s when it’s crystal clear what’s real, and what’s not.

·      We are who we are, and there’s no getting around that. 

 

This is me being reflective. We often look back on our lives and find instances where we aren’t as proud as we could be of some of the things we’ve done. I know I do… but I force myself to use that as another moment to learn and remind myself what I should and should not do. The point being: use all of that to shape our lives and ourselves every day, and to remember that the choices we make are ultimately our own responsibility. Leaders make countless decisions every day and at that rate not all are going to be impeccable… that’s why it’s so important to regularly stop and review your actions, and learn from the good, the bad, and even the ugly. It’s all part of the process of working to be our best selves. And that too is our own responsibility. Talk to yourself. If you have a coach or mentor, or partner, talk to them. Do what’s needed to shape yourself into your best self today.

 

Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (1884 – 1962): American political figure, diplomat, and activist who was the First Lady while her husband was President of the U.S. from 1933-1945.

Focus on your own responsibilities...

·      It’s not about how the ball bounces.

·      It’s all about how you play the game.

 

·      It’s not about how the ball bounces.

·      It’s all about how you play the game.

 

We’ve all managed complainers, crybabies, finger pointers, and more – they’re disruptive and no fun to work or be around.  In any organized sport or business, dealing with them effectively comes down to spelling out the rules and expectations. In this, more transparency is best, so nobody can say they didn’t know. As an old HR guy, it starts in the job posting – be clear about the people you’re looking for; it continues in the job interview – ask good questions about values and ethics, not just job skills; and in the job offer, connect the dots between their answers to those questions, your decision to hire them, and what you expect of them. This theme can be used in orientation, job training, performance evaluations, and coaching sessions. Repeating a consistent theme in everything we do is the best way to communicate it and ensure that everyone knows about it. Teach your employees the importance of focusing on and doing their best, every time, in everything they do.  Don’t let employees who don’t take full responsibility for their actions criticize anyone else today.

 

Lou Holtz (born 1937): American football coach and television analyst; he’s the only football coach to lead six different programs and guide four different programs to the final top 15 rankings.

 

Here I am, stuck in the middle again...

·  ·      Managers struggle with understanding any new generation of workers.

·      We tend to think that applied primarily to millennials.

·      But it’s every new generation.

 

Nobody said managing was easy – dealing with competition, customers, regulations, and the people that work for you is hugely complicated. Let’s focus here on the people that work for you: It’s one thing to handle difficult conversations, but quite a bit more when they’re with people from multiple generations, each with different world views. And how that influences their thinking and actions. Take a moment to learn about the issues and times during which each of those generations grew into maturity: that’s a good way to begin to understand how they each see things. For instance: aby boomers were raised by parents who’d come through a depression and world war and were focused on raising families in the developing post-war middle class. And each successive generation had its own issues and challenges. It’s easy to blame disagreements on one of the other generations you’re dealing with because the alternative is having to look within yourself; as complicated as that may be, it can be very helpful. This is just one more aspect of the diversity of today’s workplace that leaders need to understand to be effective. Add this to the list of your professional development needs today.

 

Doug Larson (1926 – 2017): Columnist and editor for the Door County Advocate (1953–1964) and the Green Bay Press-Gazette (1964–1988), both Wisconsin-based newspapers.