How to Engage Employees - Part 5

I recently "met" employee engagement consultant Michael Lee Stallard via the Employee Engagement Network. Michael's engagement manifesto, The Connection Culture, is an excellent read. His essential message is this: engagement is all about connecting.

He says: "In a nutshell, one of the most powerful and least understood aspects of business is how a feeling of connection between management, employees and customers provides a competitive advantage. Unless the people who are part of a business feel a sense of connection — a bond that promotes trust, cooperation and esprit de corps — they will never reach their potential as individuals, nor will the organization."

For Managers who want to do a better job of engaging their employees, take a page from Michael Lee Stallard:

~ Vision: Share the organization's vision with your team. Share your vision. Find out what they envision for themselves. A shared vision can unite and motivate everyone.

~ Value: Appreciate the value that each member of your team brings to the organization. Develop each person's value.

~ Voice: Seek and consider the ideas and opinions of your team. Promote participation.

With these interacting elements of connection, a culture of engagement begins to take root and bloom.

Connection is critical. As Michael Lee Stallard says: "Connection is the key. It makes a difference in families, in workplaces, in schools, in volunteer organizations, in communities, and in nations. No one can thrive for long without it."

Posted by Terrence Seamon, Mar 30, 2008