You're trying to boost your team's engagement. What tools should you use?

In response to the highlighted importance of surveys and feedback, it's crucial to recognize a common oversight: The action taken post-feedback matters most! Often, organizations collect data without implementing meaningful changes, leading to survey fatigue and skepticism among team members. To truly boost engagement, it's essential to not only collect but also act on feedback. This means transparently sharing results, setting actionable goals, and involving the team in solution development. It is also why the feedback has to be collected closer to the action! (Viva Pulse vs Viva Glint as an example). By closing the feedback loop, you demonstrate respect for your team's input, reinforcing their sense of value and engagement.

Boosting Team Engagement: Tools to Use 1. Understanding Team Engagement 2. Communication Tools for Engagement 3. Collaboration Tools for Engagement 4. Recognition and Reward Systems 5. Training and Development Programs

It's your Chief Happiness Officer (aka your biggest cheerleader) here, and let's talk engagement! We've got this amazing crew, but let's add some extra sparkle. Think Slack and Zoom for constant buzz, Trello and Asana for high-fiving every awesome win, and ditch the boring rewards – we're talking peer kudos with platforms like Bonusly and Hi5! Shine that spotlight on everyone's epicness! But hold on, work isn't everything (even though we're rockstars at it). Fuel your brainpower with Udemy or LinkedIn Learning, chill in your Zen garden with Headspace or Calm, and let's not forget the fun! Donut and Remo can be our virtual coffee break buddies, and online art projects let us unleash our inner Picassos.

Utilize tools like SurveyMonkey, Google Forms, or Officevibe to conduct regular employee surveys and collect feedback. These tools help in understanding the team's sentiments, concerns, and suggestions. Feedback tools enable anonymous responses, encouraging honest and open communication.

I love communication and collaboration tools, but a common pitfall to avoid is the overreliance on digital communication at the expense of personal interaction. Tools like Microsoft Teams are invaluable for day-to-day communication, but they can inadvertently create a barrier to deeper, more meaningful connections. Incorporating regular 1:1 video calls, not just for work-related discussions but also for interpersonal connects, and team-building activities, can foster a more personable work environment. But since we are talking about tools... it's crucial to tailor the use of these tools to your team's specific needs and preferences. Personalizing the use of these tools can significantly boost engagement and productivity.

Tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom facilitate seamless communication and collaboration, especially important for remote or hybrid teams. They offer features for instant messaging, video conferencing, and file sharing, making it easier for team members to stay connected and work together effectively. Also Bookkercorp.com for a perfect workplace management.

Another crucial factor for engagement is communication and collaboration, values that build a strong team connection. It's essential for your team to feel not only connected but also well-informed and supported by both you and their colleagues. Embrace communication and collaboration tools such as Slack, Zoom, or Microsoft Teams for effective interaction and project collaboration. Additionally, consider using tools like Asana, Trello, or Basecamp to manage tasks and workflows. By integrating these tools, you instill values of community, transparency, and accountability within your team.

Collaboration and communication are the keys to improving engagement. Leaders should empower employees to seek what they need, rather than guessing what they want. Research shows that disengaged employees are 18% less productive, while highly engaged companies experience 59% less turnover and are 21% more profitable. Effective leadership grounded in trust, transparency, empathy, and support fosters highly engaged employees. Real leadership should focus on enabling teams to voice their needs and preferences, offering autonomy and encouraging self-directed decisions, thereby creating environments where team members feel valued, heard, and empowered to shape their own experiences.

To be clear I LOVE tools like Bonus.ly to effectively facilitate recognition, but they might not fully resonate with every team member. Understanding individual preferences and tailoring rewards accordingly is key. For instance, some may value public recognition, while others prefer private appreciation or tangible rewards much more. I still remember when a former boss bought me a nice suit when I started more public speaking (which I would have never done at the time). Another essential aspect is consistency and fairness in recognition. Often, recognition efforts can focus on a few high-profile successes, overlooking consistent performers or contributions in less visible roles. Reward diverse forms of achievement where you can! :)

Implement tools like Bonusly, Kudos, or 15Five for peer recognition and rewards. These platforms allow team members to acknowledge each other’s contributions and achievements, fostering a positive and appreciative work culture.

Tools such as LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, or Udemy offer a wide range of online courses and training programs. Investing in your team’s professional development shows that you value their growth, which can significantly boost engagement and motivation.

This isn't about the tools. It's listening and helping outline how your team members can unlock their greater potential. The best tools are still the simplest ones that empower documenting and eliciting that potential. Asking a question like "If you applied all your skills and experience to your role here and that was graded as a 10/10 how much of 'you' are we and our work together leveraging today?" Most people respond with lower than 10 numbers - why is that? What are those skills you have we aren't using? What is stopping/slowing/stressing you? Once you have that then align courses, learning, and more in things like Viva Learning and other platforms. Trend towards 10/10 based on what they love and what you can help develop.

I have reservations about gamification. IMO there are other ways to foster a positive and engaging environment. For instance, using platforms for non-competitive, social interactions such as games, virtual coffee chats, or themed discussion groups can help build camaraderie and a sense of community. It’s beneficial to focus on activities that promote team bonding and personal connections, rather than competitive games and leaderboards. Organizing virtual events like shared hobby sessions, or informal group discussions on topics of interest can create a more inclusive and relaxed atmosphere. These activities can be rotated or based on team feedback. Avoid the pitfalls of gamification and nurture a supportive and engaging team instead.

Divers?o, mesmo que justificada por pequenas vitórias do time s?o uma ótima forma de come?ar. Vejo que sempre que comemoramos essas pequenas vitórias do dia-a-dia, o time acaba engajando mais. Se possível, enviar um pequeno mimo ajuda também. Reconhecimentos públicos de agradecimento também s?o efetivos.

Incorporate gamification tools like Kahoot! or Quizizz for team-building activities and learning. Gamification adds a fun element to work, encouraging participation and interaction. These tools can be used for quizzes, challenges, and interactive sessions that make learning and teamwork more enjoyable.

I completely agree with Richard, Gamification invites division and does not enable a company to encourage collaboration. We should not focus on making our staff think "look at me", but make them think "look at us". I remember doing a team-building task against another team, we were a pretend company in separate divisions. About half way through we broke down the competitive wall and decided to work together sharing information. We completed the task in the time allotted and the instructor said to us "nobody ever completed the task in the time allowed". Strive to create unity and not Individual divisions.

6. Kahoot!: Engages teams with interactive quizzes and games for learning and fun, boosting morale and team spirit. 7. 15Five: Continuous performance management software that supports feedback, goal setting, and employee check-ins. 8. Bonusly: A recognition and rewards platform that empowers team members to acknowledge each other's efforts and achievements. These tools can significantly enhance team engagement by improving communication, organization, and recognition within your team.

Gather team quarterly. Just leader or team, if a leader can't handle it, than hire a facilitator or invite HR to facilitate. Talk about what's good, what has to be better or changed and than how to fix it. Goal is to have an action plan filled with clear goals and roles. Team will feel included, have ownership and fix what needs to be fixed.

Consider the individual needs and preferences of your team. Some might prefer more direct forms of communication, while others might engage more with gamification or social recognition. Regularly review and adjust your engagement strategies based on feedback and results. Also, ensure that the tools you choose integrate well with your existing systems for a smooth user experience. Lastly, fostering a culture of openness, trust, and respect is as important as any tool in boosting team engagement.

Start with what you want to boost in their engagement and what changes do you want to achieve. Consider and deeply understand what is triggering a lack of engagement - are they fatigued because there has been high energy around their projects, is there a sense of overwhelming communication or are there other deep seeded issues that need to be addressed? Simply driving more engagement has the potential to have the opposite effect desired, without knowing what is missing in your engagement approach. Having that understanding first will help guide you in what you need to do to build their interest to engage and lead them to act.

To boost team engagement, utilize collaboration platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams for seamless communication. Implement project management tools such as Trello or Asana to streamline tasks and keep everyone organized. Additionally, consider incorporating engagement surveys or feedback tools like Officevibe or Culture Amp to gauge team sentiment and make informed improvements.

1. Slack: Enhances daily communication with channels for different topics, direct messaging, and integration with other productivity tools. 2. Trello: Visual project management tool that organizes tasks and projects into boards, lists, and cards for better team collaboration. 3. Zoom: Facilitates virtual meetings, video conferences, and webinars, keeping teams connected regardless of location. 4. Microsoft Teams: Offers chat, video calls, and document collaboration within the Office 365 suite, suitable for hybrid work environments. 5. Asana: Task and project management tool that helps teams track their work progress and manage deadlines effectively.