Scarlettabbott's A-Z of Engagement

scarlettabbott’s

of engagementThe essential tool for

people managers

to

There are lots of factors that drive employee engagement and plenty of textbooks to tell you all about them.

This isn’t one of them.

This is a bite-size summary for managers ‘in the field’. It’s based on 17 years of experience of engaging employees through inspirational leadership and creative communication. We hope it’s useful in talking about the basics of engagement with your HR, leadership and management teams. If you’d like to develop an engagement strategy or programme tailored to your own organisation, we’d love to help.

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Rachel Thornton Communications Director scarlettabbott

Everyone’s talking about doing more to ‘engage’ their people in strategy, change, values and performance excellence... but what’s engagement all about?

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of engagement

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Managers are the single most effective tool you have in your mission to keep people satisfied! Line managers have the biggest impact on how people feel, whether they are loyal to an organisation and how long they stay. Of course, your senior management, organisational policies, and employees’ attitudes and actions play a part, but research shows that employees don’t stay with or leave organisations, they stick or twist on their manager. In recognising that managers have the power to keep their talented employees, what can be done differently in your organisation to have a positive impact from today?

ac·count·a·bil·i·ty noun [ah-koun-tuh-bil-i-tee]

The buck

stops with

the managers

a

People are most engaged when they understand how their efforts contribute to a bigger picture, higher purpose or shared goal. Help employees to make clear connections between what you all do every day... and how the organisation does overall. Remember the story of how a cleaner at NASA, when asked what he did for a job, answered: “I help put astronauts on the moon.”

With a shared goal and understanding of how we’re helping get there, we all can feel proud

and motivated.

Big PictureB is for... Help them understand it

CommunicationNever stop sharing

Communicate, communicate, communicate! Great leadership requires great communication skills. Keep lines of communication buzzing with regular two-way updates. The more relevant and timely information you can share and discuss with your team, the more productive and committed they will be. Remember to explain what the updates mean on a team and individual basis, as we all want to understand what new information ‘means to me’.

com·mu·ni·ca·tion noun [kuh-myoo-ni-key-shuhn]

is for...

Give people every possible opportunity to grow, develop and challenge themselves. To help your people move not just up but also across your organisation, ask them to think about roles they may not have considered before. The more options you can offer, the more chance you have of keeping talent and building your personal reputation as a developer of people.

de·vel·op·ment noun [dih-vel-uhp-muhnt]

Growing careers horizontally and vertically

b-d

ExemplaryLead by example

E is for...

FunThe serious business of having itF

is for...

Your people look up to their managers and follow their lead on how things should be done. Managers need to lead by example and role model the right behaviours and values. It’s not just what they do, it’s the way they do it. Remember, managers are highly visible at all times and what they say and do will be noticed, remembered and repeated to others. Be exemplary!

ex·em·pla·ry adjective [eg-zem-pler-ee]

Fun enhances creativity, relieves stress and improves productivity. So why not have more of it? Don’t just let fun happen, make opportunities and time for it. Fun will energise, motivate, and keep talented people on your team. Those who play together stay together – you’ll see an increase in loyalty

amongst team mates, to you as a manager and to your organisation as an employer.

fun noun/adjective [fun]

GoalsSet clear goals to score

G is for...

HonestyThe truth is out there

Goal setting is an important part of any manager’s role. Agree SMART goals with individuals and as a team, and communicate them clearly. Action plan how you will achieve these goals and get back together regularly to check progress, discuss obstacles and maintain momentum. Goals should be discussed in 1:1s and in interim and annual appraisals. Agree some fun goals for your team, too, like sporting competitions, social activity or a team quiz.

goals noun pl [gohls]

H is for...

Telling the truth makes leaders credible, authentic and trustworthy. People respond best to the truth, even when the news is tough to hear. Naturally, we have to protect professional and personal confidentiality, and time our truth-telling with care, but all people should feel free to tell the truth and be frank. In an environment that feels honest and open, people are more engaged and likely to stay.

hon·es·ty noun [on-uh-stee]

e-h

Like what

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so far?

Excellent! It sounds like we’ve already got you interested in being great communicators.To receive the full version of scarlettabbott’s A-Z of engagement, click here.

Or, if you’d like to talk to us directly about this guide or anything else scarlettabbott can help you with, give us a call on 01904 633399.

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