Employee Engagement Series
Previously, we published an article titled “Simplifying Employee Buy-In…” (click the link to read), which was great overview of some of the typical components in a company culture that facilitate positive employee engagement. This article is the first in a series intended to unpack each of the concepts a bit further.
Communicating Effectively
If you survey any company in the world today, it is practically a guarantee that ‘communication’ will come up as an area that needs improvement. Even though there is no perfect communication plan for companies, there are some disciplines that we know will raise the bar. Below we have outlined a couple of key meeting structures and ideas for Teams® channels that you can implement today for better engagement.
The “All Hands” Meeting – (60-90 minutes – All staff, Monthly)
Typical Agenda:
| Topic | Presenter | Frequency | Anticipates this employee question |
| Financial Report | Executive | Quarterly | Is the company stable? Am I going to continue to have a job? |
| New Opportunities | Sales Leader | Monthly | Are we winning? Is the sales team doing anything or are they just playing golf? |
| New Hires / Employment Changes | HR / Executive | Monthly | Who is this person that just showed up to or disappeared from the Teams calls? Can I trust them? Is this going to help me or hurt me? |
| Recognize some individuals who lived a core value | Manager(s) | Monthly | What is important to the leaders of this company and is it real or just lip service? |
| Benefits Updates | HR / Executive | Monthly | Are my benefits competitive with our competitors? Is my company looking out for me? |
| Process Improvements | Process Owner | Monthly | What are we doing to stay ahead and get better? How does this affect me? |
- Pro Tips:
- Only share a level of financial detail that your team is educated and ready for. Too much too fast can unintentionally decrease confidence because people don’t understand the numbers. Consider leveraging a tool like The Great Game of Business as a teaching tool or use resources found in Open Book Management.
- Keep the meeting on schedule and save the questions for after the meeting. Record the sessions for those who can’t attend and share it out. Yes, you could just email this out, but studies have shown it’s not as effective. Showing up is part of engagement, for leaders and staff.
- Take opportunities to communicate how each individual member contributes to each area (Finance, Sales, Process Improvements).
- One of the key management concepts is to praise publicly and correct privately. Recognizing your team living out one of your core values is a way to praise publicly and reinforce your values at the same time. It’s really cool to have team members recognizing team members – not just managers.
The Staff/Manager 1:1 Meeting
Typical Agenda: (30-45 minute meeting, Bi-weekly)
| Topic | Presenter | Purpose |
| Tell me something good, personally or professionally | Both | It’s an ice breaker and a way to get above the weeds – this also is a way to care deeply? |
| What’s working well / not well at work? | Manager | As a manager, you want to remove obstacles to success – this is an opportunity to learn about those and address them. Seek out specifically areas they need help from others or from you. |
| How am I doing as a manager – what can I do better for you? | Staff person | Looking for genuine feedback on how you can be a better boss |
| Feedback | Manager | Note something that they did well last week. Encourage improvements / development. |
| What should we change? | Both | From the feedback above, discuss actions we intend to take |
| Monthly Rock Review | Manager | Once a month – conduct a brief “rock review” reviewing or setting goals. |
- Pro Tips:
- Surveys suggest that most people don’t quit their company, they quit their manager. Being faithful / consistent in hosting these sessions even if there isn’t much to talk about is critical. Discipline and follow-through will create trust.
- When you provide constructive feedback or recommended improvements, follow up with the question – “do you agree with this feedback?”.
- Don’t skimp on the positive feedback – if this person is on your team, then you should think of them as a critical resource that you want to develop. Confidence generally affects performance positively – so give them some.
- Steven Covey’s “7 Habits of Highly Affective People” emphasizes prioritizing major tasks, or “big rocks” first. To enhance our company and team, we must allocate a small portion of our time for these crucial tasks and protect that time. Keep it simple and focused by setting no more than three goals at a time, ideally starting with one. Maybe it’s a training goal or a documentation goal. Pick something easy to achieve first and once you gain traction, you can begin to set some stretch goals.
Teams® Channels
- Group Collaboration Channel(s) (company-wide or focus specific or both) – This isn’t just a Microsoft feature; it’s an opportunity for collaboration. Create a safe space where people can submit requests for help and encourage your staff to participate regularly and quickly. When we support each other well, we support our clients well.
- Fun Channel – Customer service is a stressful business and in today’s remote work environment, we are less likely to have lunches together or share moments outside of the daily grind. Set up a channel for group participation in games like trivia or puzzles, or ice breaker questions. It’s a great option for those who need that social experience to stay happy at work. You can find a list of potentials here.
Take One Step Now
Effective communication and structured meetings are essential for fostering positive employee engagement. By implementing these strategies and creating collaborative spaces, we prioritize our team’s needs and work together towards achieving our goals. While all the suggestions here are valuable, if you have to choose one to implement today, we highly recommend the Staff/Manager 1:1 Meeting. Faithfully committing to this one discipline can be a transformative experience for both you and your team. Remember, when employees buy-in, everybody wins!
