Open post
Engaging People

6 Ideas for Engaging Your People all Year Round

It’s amazing how many employers focus on employment legislation when it comes to making people decisions. I haven’t met anyone yet that expects to grow customer loyalty by explaining the consumer protection regulations first.

‘People buy people’ as the saying goes and this translates directly to why people work with people.

Here are six ideas for creating healthier working relationships that will bring benefits all year round:

  1. Focus on what’s important – if you’re too busy to solve why Sarah didn’t present as well as you expected, or why Charlie didn’t get back to you when you agreed, you’re going to stay busy dealing with poor presentations and missed deadlines.
  2. Converse, in person, on purpose – pick up the phone, walk to another part of the building. Invite someone for a coffee. Check-in with the team every day.
  3. Have you read your employee handbook recently? – I’ve read a few and I continually wince as I move past the welcome page into an almost never ending list of what I must not do. Rules are important, so are boundaries, clear expectations and consequences. Set up and maintain a balanced two-way dialogue with your people and you’re more likely to stay ahead of the legal requirements.
  4. Look at how you use your HR resource? Whether in-house or outsourced, how do they spend their time? Are they equipped to identify how your people can best serve your customers now and in the future? Do they actively engage and inspire, or are they overly focused on procedure, policy and performance frameworks?
  5. Don’t wait for your next employee survey. A great barometer is to ask whether your people would recommend working with you to their close family and friends, and why? If you’re not comfortable asking the questions, then you probably already know at least some of the answers.
  6. Notice and nurture your leaders. These are your business advocates. The ‘go to’ people that others gravitate towards when there’s a problem to solve or a challenge to chase. Guess what? They’re not always the ones in the decision-making roles.

In summary

Successful businesses have a clear strategy, based on a clear purpose, delivered by people who are connected to their vision through their values, and who have both the competence and confidence to deliver. They also make sure they follow the statutory regulations.

For more information about how we work with people and organisations visit our Organisation Design and Leadership & Development pages.

For more insights, hints and tips delivered straight to your inbox, you can also sign up for our newsletter.

Posts navigation

1 2
Scroll to top