IT’S ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS
There are volumes written about the importance of having engaged employees. The research appears consistent in that there are business advantages of having committed, engaged employees. Yet so many businesses have difficulty in hiring or nurturing employees to become more engaged in the organization.
Converting a non-engaged employee to an engaged one or maintaining an engaged one, can be time-consuming and challenging. Some businesses develop a variety of formal activities for this cause. Frequently, they fall flat.
Here is a tip to start the process of improving employee engagement without spending lots of time and money:
When I was the President/CEO of a mid-sized business, I made a self-commitment to know each of my 70 employees and 285 customers. I made arrangements to meet all new employees to share the company’s history, values, goals, and expectations.
During these meetings, I would learn their name, prior experiences, where they lived, and why they chose to join us. In subsequent visits to work sites, I would seek them out, address them by name, and have a casual conversation. I would also reconnect with longer-term employees. Eventually, I learned some things that were very important to them around their values, families, hobbies, travels, and other non-work interests. These topics became fodder for future conversations.
I used a similar process to learn more about the customers who were using our services. In addition to creating relationships, I gained important perspectives on how we were doing as an employer and as a provider of services to our customers.
Over the years, I heard many compliments on the welcoming and caring culture created by these practices. Employees and customers felt important and valued because the President/CEO and other leaders knew and cared about them. They felt like they belonged and became more committed.
My advice for leaders- get to really know the people you work with and your customers. For many, employee engagement will naturally follow and you will see amazing business results.