"Increase Employee Engagement for the 'New Normal'"

My latest offering, "Increase Employee Engagement", is a followup to last week's article, "Don't Just React". It's 5th in my series, "Pivoting, Expanding, and Growing During the 'New Normal'(and Beyond)"

Once you complete and polish up your One Page Plan, I strongly (repeat, strongly) encourage you to have an “all hands” meeting to share the plan with everyone in the company. Sharing the plan shows respect for employees, as well as demonstrating that you are an inspiring leader. It demonstrates that you know where the company is headed, how you're going to get there, AND how everyone fits into the path to success. It can also be a great morale builder, so include everyone. Best of all, including them helps build “buy-in” on the company’s projects, path, and growth.

Ask employees for additional insights or ideas. There are wonderful wisdom and insights residing within your employees. Harvest their wisdom while observing who are leaders. Listen to and consider what they say. They will likely see and say things that you haven’t considered, so tap into this goldmine.

Check in with your people to see if they see how the plan can help them achieve their goals and dreams. As an inspiring leader, you do try to to serve your most valuable resource, right? When they see possibilities to achieve what they most want, they will want to stay and do their best work, simply because they feel valued and supported. Since one of your biggest costs is employee turnover, injecting caring and respect into the equation is effort well spent. This can help reduce costs, increase profits, and create an environment that attracts good employees and more business.

 Finally, create a recognition/rewards program for employees who help grow the business or reduce costs. In doing this, you create a partnership with the employees; and, if you are a person/leader who inspires your people, they will want to stay and help the business flourish.