So, you've taken the first two steps.
1. You and your group defined what employee engagement means for you.
2. You've chosen the KPI that is meaningful to you and where your engagement has the most direct impact.
Now, it's time to make engaging with your employees part of your daily routine.
Employee engagement is too important to be left to memory or a I’ll fit it in approach.
Honor it as you do your other appointments.
Schedule it on your calendar. That's what you do with your important appointments.
Set a reminder. You do that for those important appointments, too. (I like text reminders. Some prefer email or pop-ups.) This is the most important appointment in your day.
What do you do during this time?
Write #1. During that time, write a list of people you want to recognize and why.
Write #2. Be specific on why, why they matter to you and writing it so it matters to them.
Practice Saying It. Practice makes perfect. At first, we all need practice. At first, your direct reports might need practice hearing it to believe it.
Deliver That Recognition. Recognition isn't recognition until you share it with the person you're recognizing. So, deliver that message to that person.
Do that every day.
Here are the reasons I recommend you make this your first appointment.
1. Fewer immediate distractions. Obvious, enough.
2. We're clearer, fresher, unencumbered by the yet to arrive, rising-tide of daily distractions.
3. Our willpower reserves are full at the start of the day. That makes first thing in the morning the best time to start a new habit.
4. Sets the tone, provides the right lens or focus for the day. I start my day with fifteen minutes of gratitude. There's no real ceremony to it. I open a note in my Evernote ap. I title it Gratitude: [The Day's Date] I start with the simple I am grateful for ... I bullet point at least ten items for which I am grateful. One word describes some items. A sentence or two describes others.
5. Regular practice strengthens the muscles of recognition. I've noticed it strengthens my muscles of appreciation and recognition. Like every new exercise, those muscles first complained and resisted. This is silly, I'd say to myself.
But, then I noticed those muscles flexed their way through the morning, then the afternoon, now more and more through the entire day.
Don't get me wrong. This is not a panacea, nor does it leave me in state of uninterrupted bliss, easily moving my way undisturbed and constantly smiling through the day.
However ... it's an efficient, effective tactic to sustain my appreciation habit throughout the day. And, that makes my life, well, good.
You can do the same with those on your team with this simple step.
For the wonks, here's a bit of data.
If your manager ignores you, there is a 40% chance that you will be actively disengaged or filled with hostility about your job. If your manager is at least paying attention - even if he is focusing on your weaknesses - the chances of your being actively disengaged go down to 22%. But if you manager is primarily focusing on your strengths, the chance of your being actively disengaged is just 1%, or 1 in 100.
This tip comes from Page 26 of Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements by Tom Rath. I wrote more about it here, Managers: Just Pay Attention to Your Direct Reports.
PS: It’s okay if you’re too busy. Pretty soon you won’t have any employees left or the ones that remain, you know, are the ones you don’t want to recognize. So you're habit of not recognizing them will prove self-fulfilling.
WARNING: Self-Promotion.
If you want to know more ways to recognize your employees, check out my book RECOGNIZE THEM: 52 Ways to Recognize Your Employees in Ways They Value. Beside those 52 ways to recognize your employees, I offer easy exercises to reinforce those habits and inspirational quotes to keep you going.
Here’s its reviews by business experts.
Photo Credit: Sergey02
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