Tag Archives: Employee Engagement

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Establish a Team Vision Through Continuous Improvement Meetings

Two employees brainstorming ideas

#52 Hold “Continuous Improvement” Meetings

Periodically pull your team together for a session to identify innovative ways to improve.  The meeting could be focused on ways to increase revenue, reduce costs, improve quality and/or improve efficiency.  List the ideas, prioritize them, select a manageable set to focus on, assign responsibilities and track their completion.  Make this information available to the entire group.  Holding these meetings 3-4 times a year gets people thinking proactively about how to improve and gives them an opportunity to make a difference.

This is the fifty-second post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.

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Connect Others Through “Flash Mentoring”

Employee connection with leader

 

#51 Employ “Flash Mentoring”

One way to match mentors and mentees is to ask them to commit to meet just once to see if both parties “click” (or “connect,” if you will) and if the mentor believes he/she has the knowledge/expertise and sufficient time available to meet the mentee’s needs and expectations. If both parties agree to continue, they should agree to a set number of additional meetings rather than leave the term open-ended. Unless both mentor and mentee agree to a set number of additional meetings, there is no commitment to meet again. “Flash mentoring” was a term coined by K. Scott Derrick in his work with 13L, a group of federal employees who share a passion for leadership excellence.

This is the fifty-first post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.

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How to Save “The Shack”

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RadioShack is on the ropes. What can be done to save it?

Over my career I’ve seen this scenario several times.  Xerox comes to mind.  In 2000, when Anne Mulcahy became Xerox’s CEO, the company was nearly bankrupt.  Her leadership helped save it.  In 2012, I spoke with Ms. Mulcahy in a series of interviews about how she led Xerox’s turnaround.  She described three behaviors that were similar to how A.G. Lafley led the turnaround of Procter and Gamble, how Howard Schultz and Howard Behar led the turnaround of Starbucks and, more recently, how Alan Mulally led the turnaround of Ford.

Our firm’s research over the past decade found these three behaviors in leaders who achieved long-term superior performance. The behaviors brought about an extraordinary degree of connection, community and unity so that people pull together rather than retreat to protect self-interest. Stated another way, these leadership behaviors create a team that pulls together and protects the culture from spiraling down into a dog-eat-dog environment.

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Celebrate Your Organization’s Culture Through a Blog

Women working on laptop at home

#50 Create a Blog to Celebrate Your Culture

Create a blog or intranet site where colleagues can post positive examples of people who live out the core values of your organization.  This provides employee recognition, encourages everyone to bring the values to life, and spreads positive examples and practices.  For example, see the “Nuts About Southwest” blog at www.blogsouthwest.com.

This is the fiftieth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.

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Leaders: Don’t Forget to Make Time for Q&A

Disengaged employees explaining employee engagement to their boss

#49 Make Time for Q&A

If you directly and indirectly lead a large number of people, set aside times for people to ask questions that you then answer.  You can have people anonymously submit questions or just ask them during the meeting.

Howard Behar, former President of Starbucks North America and Starbucks International, called the sessions he held “Open Forums.” Jim Goodnight, CEO of SAS Institute, holds sessions like this that are referred to as “Java with Jim.” Vineet Nayar, former CEO of HCL, had people email him questions that he answered on his blog so everyone could see the question and his response. The founders of Google used to do this each Friday at the “TGIF” meeting by having people email questions that are then posted on Google’s intranet. Google employees would vote on the questions and Google’s founders would answer the questions that receive the most votes.

This is the forty-ninth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.

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Connect With Your Direct Reports By Helping Them Find Mentors

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#48 Arrange for Peer Mentoring

A great way leaders can serve their direct reports is by making peer mentors available for those who want to improve in a specific area of competence or character. Select a mentor who is strong in the given area, and make the introduction. The mentor does not necessarily have to be someone at a higher level in the company, but should be someone knowledgeable about the area and willing to help others grow.

This is the forty-eighth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.

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Cut the Strings: Provide Autonomy in Execution

Smiling leader talking to employee

#47 Provide Autonomy in Execution

Monitor progress and be available to help your direct reports but refrain from “micro managing” unless they ask for specific help. This meets the human need for autonomy that allows people to experience personal growth.

This is the forty-seventh post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.

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Connect by Holding Individual Knowledge Flow Sessions

Business People Sharing Knowledge#46 Hold Individual Knowledge Flow Sessions

Begin by making a list of the people you must interact with in order to perform your work well. Similar to Group Knowledge Flow Sessions, in meeting with individuals, share your Vision for what relevant actions need to be taken in your work with them, who you see as responsible for each action, and when it needs to be completed; ask them to tell you “what’s right, what’s wrong and what’s missing” from your thinking; and consider their ideas and opinions to learn from them and show you value them.

This is the forty-sixth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.

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Seek Ideas and Opinions in Group Knowledge Flow Sessions

Man having an idea#45 Seek Ideas and Opinions in Group Knowledge Flow Sessions

When leading Knowledge Flow Sessions, share with participants that “I don’t have a monopoly on good ideas and we will be our best only when we all share our opinions and ideas.” Encourage dialogue by asking participants to tell you “what’s right, what’s wrong and what’s missing” from your thinking.

Everyone’s opinions and ideas should be considered so ask people who are quiet to share what they think.  Listen and consider the ideas put forth.  Implement good ideas and give credit where it’s due.  This practice reflects the character strengths of integrity, humility, curiosity and open-mindedness.

This is the forty-fifth post in our series entitled “100 Ways to Connect.” The series highlights language, attitudes and behaviors that help you connect with others. Although the language, attitudes and behaviors focus on application in the workplace, you will see that they also apply to your relationships at home and in the community.