One recurring theme for me and for many of the owners who I interact with is the issue of employee engagement and empowerment. The question asked is — ‘How can I get my people on board and excited about (fill in your topic)?’
The other day, I — along with two dozen other engaged attendees — participated in a program at The Hartford Club put on by Dick Adams, the founder of Elisit Solutions. Adams is a longtime practitioner of getting employees engaged on the individual and organizational level, and he shared what he called, “The Seven Secrets of Work Force Engagement.” With his permission, I’m sharing Adams’ seven recommendations with the hope that they could translate into powerful tools for you.
Start with asking, listening and acting. It’s simple, straightforward, and begins the process of engaging employees. If you ask them questions, and then actually listen to the answers, they notice and appreciate the fact that you took the time to ask and recognized the potential they had to offer — and then actually did something.
Brainstorm With Staff
When talking with your employees, dismiss no one. Be sure everyone has an opportunity to be involved in the process and is able to provide their thoughts and ideas. Everyone will at least be heard, and engaging everyone opens the door for new opportunities from previously unheard corners of the organization.
Share operational and performance data with employees. If they do not know how they are doing in meeting goals or how the company compares to the competition, how can they help — and improve their own view of themselves as contributing parts of company success?
In working towards whatever goals you are trying to accomplish, tell the employees how they fit in. This is critical. The employees are the ones who have to implement any solution, and they will know what works or doesn’t work. Effective leaders encourage and spur commitment on the part of employees.
Ask, Listen And Share
As implementation occurs, continue to ask, listen, and share. Share results and the impact of the employee’s efforts. Ask employees what is working, and what changes they would recommend. Pursue changes employees recommend. They are on the front line and are vested in the project and the results.
When an employee is not engaged, and is not moving towards engagement, terminate them fairly and swiftly. Engaged employees know who is not working, and appreciate focused leadership in those situations. The company benefits through a continuously improving workforce.
Finally, the effective leader does not get in the way. The “bottleneck” in a bottle is always at the top. Effective leaders don’t slow down progress by needing to be involved in every step along the way. You’ve worked hard to engage employees. Let them do their jobs.
Ken Cook is managing director of Peer to Peer Advisors, an organization that facilitates business leaders helping each other. You can reach him at kcook@peertopeeradvisors.com.
