How can program managers maintain employee engagement over time?

The first step of any program is to build, define and communicate organization vision and mission statement including clear scope of work (SOW), Work breakdown structure (WBS) and stakeholder expectation with SOR (Share of responsibility) of each employee with role expection.

Program Managers are cradle to grave owners of projects and programs. One of the key skills is to have empathy and understanding of the perspective of each team member. There should be no compromise for what needs to be done (accountability) to meet the specific timelines. However spending 1-1 time with team members to understand their point of view and the difficulty of the task/job and how you can help them make it easier or just to get the job done - part time psychologist so to speak. Partner them with SME's from other areas to show not only that you care about the program/project but about them as contributors to the larger organizations.

Manage engagement along the program lifecycle and adjust for employee needs throughout the life cycle. The communication plan should include a cadence for reinforcing the “Why” of the program and the value of employees in achieving outcomes. Establishing a feedback process where employees can contribute to adjustments and take ownership in their engagement. Rewards and recognition throughout the lifecycle, not just at key milestones. As with anything, all work and no play makes for a dull experience. If onsite, use team events and designated collaboration rooms; if virtual bring the fun with virtual hangouts and games. Employees have higher engagement when they connect with the program objective and the people they are working with.

This single step of defining and communicating the program vision alone, is capable of connecting individuals with the Whys. Unless there is a compelling reason about why they are doing, what they are doing, it is difficult to resonate with the intentions. It is common to see how people who are not connected with the overall vision - can easily drift away over the period of time. One additional thing to consider is repeatability. Often it takes repeated communications via multiple platform before people can whole heartedly connect with the intention of the program.

Defining and communicating the program vision is very important as it should be communicated across the ecosystem to key stakeholders down to individual team members. Showing the value to each employees cannot be emphasized enough. Communicating the vision should be done via a multi-channel approach and not just through email. A successful idea my team has employed is to engaging ideas through contests and hackathons to get team members invested in creating the ideas that will benefit the program.

I worked at a company that offered cookies every Friday afternoon. Work practically shutdown every Friday around 230pm when the cookies arrived so I took that opportunity to review our team accomplishments and offer individual appreciation notes to people which would then be posted in the break room. This mini-awards ceremony came to be known as "Cookie Friday" on the team. Recognizing accomplishments and showing how much the team has achieved is a great way to keep them engaged.

A small story which struck with me for many years on feedback and recognition. A dog trainer works with dog parents to train the dog. Everytime, he shares a treat, the dog understands it is the right thing, repeats and learns. This is positive reinforcement. He also instructs the dog parents, if you see a bad behavior, correct it immediately. If you miss to respond and try to correct it later, the dog will not be able to relate to it. Similarly, appreciate it with a lot of treats, when it does it right and listens it. This story applies to the true world of feedback and recognition for human beings too. Only when you are given timely feedback and recognized for your act when relevant, it stays with you! Else, you lose it.

One thing I've come to realize is how crucial it is to praise publicly and critique privately when it comes to engaging our team. It's a game-changer! When you recognize someone's achievements or efforts openly, it's not just about acknowledging their work; it's about showing that their contributions matter to the entire team. It makes employees feel supported, valued, and seen, boosting morale and motivation. On the flip side, providing constructive feedback behind closed doors has a huge impact. Doing so helps maintain respect and dignity for the individual while addressing areas for improvement or mistakes. Both work to create an environment where employees feel appreciated and empowered to grow.

I once worked for a Program Director, formerly an Army General. On a regular basis, he would pop in the office and just have a quiet chat - just to say hello, ask if there were any issues I needed help with. Sometimes, he would come in and ask for an opinion on something he was working on or a number of other things. This type of F2F interaction makes you feel appreciated and respected.

I wholeheartedly second the example by James. I believe that anything a PM can do to mix in a little fun and light-hearted activities to reoccurring administrative meetings can be invaluable towards building team camaraderie, increasing attendance, and preventing burnout. My favorite PM I ever worked with would often bring treats to such meetings and start with a with a funny story that had nothing to do with work or the project.

Each of our four Department’s work with employees on quarterly goals that are accompanied by measurable results. Staff knows that goals alone don’t cut it. Therefore, each objective must come with measurable milestones that indicate if a goal is on… or off-track. Goals are reviewed weekly during departmental meetings where colleagues can offer collaboration if someone is not progressing as expected. We achieve more fulfilling engagement when employees have clear goals that are aligned with corporate objectives.

One thing I've found helpful is making sure that tone from the top is espousing a safe workspace for ideas to thrive. In my past role, we are measured on impact. how well we work with our peers, how well we create positive impact to others, and how we build on others' ideas and work.

Internal focus groups are a great way to brainstorm and collaborate. It is critical that as implementation is occurring that a loop back on why some initiatives were chosen for implementation and others were not occurred. Communication is key to future collaboration.

I have always encouraged a 360 anonymous feedback at work and it has helped my team and myself immensely over the course of time. we used to have a bottle at the corner weekly sessions , two bottles are kept at the desk to put in chits which state 1 positive and 1 improvement for that person of the week by all in the team. This compiled together gave the person a holistic view of themselves as an employee, co-worker, team player and it fostered a wonderful environment where each person was able to eliminate their improvement bottle chits eventually over the course of time. Feedback or recognition has to be timely... waiting for the year end to do so..beats the purpose. Either of them should be from the heart and not for compliance.

Best way to keep your team fully engaged is to show them that their views, ideas and ways of doing things are appreciated. Everyone's expertize and skill is tapped and utilized when a Program Manager provides opportunities for collaboration and space for innovation. Capacity Sharing

I believe that a workplace can offer all the flexibilities available but none of that matters if employees are receiving mixed messages. Emailing people after hours; piling “priority” assignments on top of other priorities; setting unrealistic deadlines; scheduling non urgent meetings at lunchtime; contacting people while on leave; or loading up employees’ calendars with back to back meetings are all unhealthy habits signaling to employees that work-life balance and their well-being are not important to the organization. Yes, do the big things - events, engagement activities, fitness programs, etc., AND be mindful of all the little ways your workplace can chip away at employees’ well-being. Be intentional and thoughtful.

Lead by example with intent, because otherwise you're leading by example on accident. Don't send emails or assign tasks outside of work hours, or you're showing that you expect others to be working then - even when you say you don't expect them to, they still will feel the pressure to step up to your example. Demonstrate the ways to use time efficiently in meetings, showcase followup and communication, and help your Team to prepare for time away and time off with detailed planning and documentation.

One of the hardest roles of a project and program manager is balancing business priorities and delivery expectations with what the delivery team can actually accommodate in a normal workday. Minimising context switching and setting achievable deadlines makes the delivery team members’ jobs so much more satisfactory, especially when they can see and feel the achievement of value delivery without an excessive, looming backlog waiting for them.

While it is true that many professionals allow their work to define who they are, many more find that their work is defined by who they are. Having staff and partners who are healthy, dynamic, and multifaceted individuals infuses an organization with resilience and a greater creative power. Industries that are public facing such as healthcare, entertainment, or the law are better suited to serve the public when their workforce reflects the best attributes of the people they serve. Having a work life balance should not be seen as a compromise that 21st century businesses must concede to in order to recruit the latest generations of employees. It should be seen as a true evolution in the modern workplace and should be actively encouraged.

I once attended an interview for a senior role and the President of the organization told me: “there is no such thing as work-life balance…” That was a dealbreaker right there and then. In the current world we live in and especially post Covid-19 era, organizations are forced to adapt to new ways of working including balancing the equation of work and life for their employees. Managers should thus strive to ensure employees health and wellbeing is a top priority. Healthy and happy employees translate into more productivity!

Disagree. The German term ?überwachung“ is negative in the context of employee engagement. If a company, program manager or team lead need to surveille engagement, then this is a sign of mistrust and bad culture. Engagement comes from the inside, based on purpose of and satisfaction in the job. It cannot be imposed from the outside.

Using short, focused anonymous surveys are a good way to keep a pulse on the engagement levels of a team. Be sure to openly share and discuss the results! Celebrate gains and take action on opportunities to improve.

I like the point about measuring employee engagement routinely. One pitfall I have seen with managers is choosing to ignore high employee turnover. Blaming the employees for exiting shields them from looking inwards and asking the tough questions.

In my experience, when everyone seems to be in agreement all the time it is a red flag. In other words, if no one is voicing opinions different than the leadership or asking any questions it may be an indication that engagement and trust are quite low. Leaders who use fear-based tactics may expect the outward support from ‘yes-men’ when in fact little or no engagement exists. Questions, opinions, discussion and brainstorming are very healthy and productive at the correct phase of the development process.

Most people don’t use varied enough methods to go to get truly meaningful date on engagement. The key to great metrics is having about the qualitative and quantitative approach— which means putting on our ‘market research’ and ‘social science’ hats. The best way to get good data is to combine a variety of simple and widely available different tools. For instance, we can do things like short survey questions with numerical scales to get the quantitative data, and couple this with survey text responses, short interviews, focus groups, and insights from people leaders. Aggregating methods using several tools let’s us look more holistically at quantitative & qualitative results together, giving us more actionable insights to engagement.

Maintaining employee engagement is essential for a Program Manager, and integrating the Prosci ADKAR? Model with a focus on individual ‘whys’ can significantly enhance this process. Engagement is not a one-size-fits-all approach. It requires understanding and addressing the unique ‘whys’ of each employee to ensure lasting engagement and effective change management.

Don't forget to have FUN! Having fun with the team lightens the atmosphere and relieves stress. The team that laughs together is not afraid to take chances and to stretch their abilities. This also encourages honest discourse and provides valuable insights in to team member's personalities. Don't forget to lift the mood - have a little fun and acknowledge that you are human.

Here are a few strategies can be considered: 1. Personalization 2. Active listening 3. ?multichannel approach 4. Compelling content 5. Gamification and interactivity 6. Timely and consistent communication 7. Data analysis and optimization

Empower employees by helping them recognize the impact of their work on the organization and its customers. Provide a clear understanding of how their contributions make a difference and benefit both the company and its clientele. Utilize stories and testimonials from individuals who have experienced positive outcomes due to the program to illustrate the real-world impact. By connecting employees to tangible examples of the program's influence, they gain a deeper appreciation for their roles and contributions, fostering a sense of purpose and fulfillment in their work.

A strategic way to engage colleagues in adapting and improving the engagement strategy is to involve them in the process. I commonly seek my team’s input, ideas, and feedback on problems, and encourage them to share suggestions for improvement. I believe by actively involving others, you can tap into their insights and experiences, fostering a sense of ownership and commitment to the engagement strategy. Additionally, implementing and testing changes, and monitoring and measuring their impact, will help ensure continuous improvement and alignment with team needs and expectations.

Set context, communicate the vision and the “Why” and break up the goal into meaningful and manageable milestones. Celebrate the completed milestones and recognize the contributions of the team members. It is in this reflection and celebration of milestones that progress is measured, growth is realized, relationships are fostered, and team engagement is harnessed. It isn’t just a fun thing to do; it is strategic in sustaining engagement and driving momentum towards the ultimate set goals.

One of the things that I believe to be very important is knowing the unique skills and characteristics of the single team members. This allows you to harness their specific traits and make them feel valued, important and, especially, relevant to the Program’s success.

To feel engaged people must see that their work means something and that their contributions are respected. In large projects, we often focus on major milestones. It can be hard to see your specific role's contribution and those milestones are too far apart. Celebrate your teammates short-term specific task or contributing milestone. That explaination can be a simple thank you with an explaination of why what they did mattered and how it fits into the bigger goals. Small wins make the big wins.

Engagement is not a once-a-year thing, nor is it a one-size-fits-all approach. It is a way of working everyday that empowers team members. By listening to their individual needs you can identify ways that support them and allow them to excel. For one, it may be providing support in tough situations. For others, it may be giving them space to try something new. And others may simply need a little coaching to move them forward. It also means being vulnerable with them. By being you more, you get to know them more. In total, the team is a collection of individuals who want to be heard, recognized, and valued. So a collection of small things over many days is what keeps people engaged. Every interaction counts, every day.

Along with all listed above, creating a culture of open communication is crucial for sustained engagement. By actively listening to employees, providing regular updates on company goals and constructive feedback, AND ensuring that the channels for communication are transparent and accessible. Creating an environment where employees feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and concerns contributes to a culture of openness and fosters a sense of involvement and engagement.