HOW DO I ENGAGE MY TEAM AT WORK? START WITH THESE 3 THINGS…

Three is a very important number. In fact, it’s a number that permeates almost every single aspect of human existence. When we are taught to write a story, we are taught to include a beginning, a middle and an end. In most sporting events, we award a bronze, silver and gold medal. The most stable shape that we know is three-sided, the triangle. We all know about the Three Musketeers, and the Three Stooges. Even the earth is the third rock from the sun, and guess what, when you pour milk on your cereal, it goes snap, crackle and pop. Yes, the power of three is real. It’s a number that makes us feel comfortable. When we have three choices, we feel that we have enough choice, and not too much to distract us. The next time you watch a top-level public speaker, watch out for their use of the power of three. The way that they will explain a point, with three sub-points.

Here's another powerful three… Recognition, Safety and Freedom.

This is a combo of three that every leader, and company should be paying a lot of attention to. These three things should make up the core of any company’s culture. When they work together, this type of culture can produce fantastic results. Moreover, these three things deliver the flexibility and accountability that is needed for a business to succeed in 2019. Right now businesses need to be agile to constantly mould itself to new market demands and competitor pressures.

Let’s quickly examine each individually…

RECOGNITION

Recognition is the fuel that drives engagement. In fact, trying to maintain employee engagement without frequent and high-quality recognition is like trying to drive a car only on fumes – even if you get it started, it will soon stop. So, when you have a desired performance or behaviour that you want to see exhibited, you must recognise it when you see it happen.

When recognition is given frequently, and meaningfully, you will see an uplift in morale, engagement and performance too. The important word here is meaningfully. Passing on positive recognition isn’t a tick-box exercise. If you treat it this way, it will have no effect, as your team will see straight through the attempt. You must truly be happy about your team’s success and be genuine in your praise. If you can’t be genuine, then you need to assess what is stopping you.

Recognition is the catalyst that kick-starts and drives your engagement. However, it’s only the start… People also need to feel safe.

SAFETY

The days of ruling by fear are over.

We now live and work in an age where people respond well to feeling safe in their position at work. When people feel scared in their role, the whole team suffers. People that are scared don’t share information, they don’t take any risks, and they don’t perform to their best. You need your team to be courageously looking forward, not constantly looking back over their shoulder.

A culture of safety, that removes fear at all costs is imperative. Once you've established this, you can look to promote freedom.

FREEDOM

Freedom is last on this list of three for a reason. It’s impossible to reap the rewards of freedom, without first establishing a strong culture of positive recognition, as well as making your team feel entirely safe. In order for people to truly capitalise on a culture of freedom, they need to feel safe and rewarded. Then you will see people to start to own their role in their way. This is absolutely crucial for modern day businesses. As a company, you need to be aware of the way the world is changing, and how this affects your business. Once you allow people to run their role their way, they bring all of their unique experience and perspective to the table. In today’s world, the perspective of many is far more useful that the perspective of only 1. When you give people freedom, you unlock their unique perspective, and you win the advantage that brings.

A great way to deliver a culture of freedom is to be results-focused, rather than process-focused. Agree with each member in your team what you expect them to deliver, and then let them deliver it their way, without interference.

This combo of three, like the others, works best when pulled together. As much as you may want to focus on one element at a time, there is a danger in that.

Here’s the danger:

Recognition & Safety without Freedom               leads to                       Boredom

Recognition & Freedom without Safety               leads to                       Fear

Safety & Freedom without Recognition               Leads to          Demotivation

Boredom, fear and demotivation. Literally the things any leader is looking to avoid at all costs. Look at this particular combo of three as a blueprint. A blueprint that will deliver high engagement, high performance, and most importantly, a happy team.