Employee Engagement Meeting Tips

First, tool-up everyone; second, visualize ideas; third, allow play & friendly conflict.

Friendly conflict and competition was fun; it still is.

High employee engagement outcomes are:

• More complete problem-solving

• Better project selection

• Successful project completion

• More creative ideas

• Better decisions

• Better performance to KPIs

• Employees with lower stress levels

• Happier employees

• Increased employee retention

• Reduced costs associated with replacing exits

Here are the three biggest things you can do to significantly increase employee engagement.

Engagement training for all

1. Tool-up everyone. Many people don't know how to engage. From parents, schools, former bosses and societal constraints; over time people have constrained their input. Employees also need to know their engagement is welcomed, and their perspective valued. Lastly, employees need to believe there is benefit to engagement. There is a lot going on when an employee engages, and this complexity is not well understood by most leaders. On the receiving end of engagement, many leads, supervisors, engineers, managers, and executives don't know how to respond to employee engagement. Often without intention, they dismiss ideas and criticize too quickly. Often, leaders don't ask good questions, or get uncomfortable as soon as the debate gets lively, or their own positions get challenged. For these reasons, and many more, everyone should receive engagement and problem-solving training. Everyone should get the opportunity to utilize those skills on a regular basis through non-task contributions. In a previous blog found here, we talked about and how companies can make real progress in their diversity, equity, and inclusion impact.
   

2. Visualize thinking. Dr. Derek Cabrera revealed the four simple rules of thinking in DSRP; these rules form the construct of information and thought. A more in-depth review of DSRP can be found here. Along with DSRP, ask questions of questions! Doubt assertions as much as possible. Finally, either through sticky notes and pens, or mapping software like Frameable, visualize your mental model constructs. The brain is powerful, but data suggests we can only manipulate 5-7 singularities at a time. Visualizing ideas and thinking, increases the brains capacity by freeing up working memory.

3. Foster friendly conflict. Find ways to animate employees through play and imaginative ways of discovery. One idea that has worked well for me is to allow people to align with like-thinking people. Or actually divide a group into all women/men, or operations/sales, and develop ideas independently. They will be more comfortable with each other and ideas will flow quicker and more efficiently (remember everyone has received training on problem solving and engagement). Then present the ideas generated and encourage debate and challenges.

And make sure you accomplish! I guess there are four things to prompt engagement! But people need to see their ideas in action and see results that bring success to the organization.

With workplace stress at an all-time high, retention rates at their lowest level, and productivity continuing to decline, business leaders must pull the lever on employee engagement and professional development. Find out more about game-changing engagement training here.

Lori G. Fisher, PMP

PLS Management Consulting

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