Reconnecting With Your Team
Why reconnecting with your team must be a strategy cornerstone
In strategic terms, your employee engagement is vital. Your overall business goals and desired outcomes can be delivered only by teams working together. However, not all companies understand this truth.
A true tale of disengagement
My friend Ben called me yesterday, he was not happy.
Ben, an Account Manager for a major national brand, had spent the previous day helping host a glamorous showcase for clients of the company he worked for.
This was why Ben was not happy…
- Ben left home at 5am to arrive at the venue by 6am.
- He had to park a distance away, as his company refused to pay for parking at the venue. Sadly, parking was expensive.
- Ben helped set up the company collateral and added the finishing touches.
- During the busy day, Account Managers were allowed only very short breaks.
- When at mid-morning the company realised that there might not be enough food to go around, they forbade any employees to eat from the function menu. (In fact, someone texted Ben and his fellow Account Managers eight times re not dipping into the function food.)
- The Account Management team weren’t provided with lunch. At 4pm, when the event ended, the Account Managers were told to go back to work for the remainder of the day.
Does that sound like a smart way to treat your employees and get them pumped so you have an amazing year?
It doesn’t, does it?
In monetary terms, the cost of parking and lunch for the Account Managers would have been negligible – and repaid tenfold in appreciation, loyalty and performance.
In the long run, the company must realise the greater price paid in their employees’ morale and motivation.
A company is not faceless or anonymous. Someone, had made all these decisions without thinking of the inevitable consequences. The decision showed a lack of respect for his or her colleagues; death to an engaged culture.
So now it’s time to think about how you’d behave. How will you engage and connect with your team in the coming year? What is the best way to stimulate and motivate your team?
We can do this effectively by creating Creating Communities of value.
Here are six areas to consider for community reconnection that lasts:
- Recruit, train and develop the right people – look for attitude, passion and commitment. Then (and only then), develop competence and skill.
- Provide a vision, endorse values and unify the community
Explain why you’re all here and where you are all headed. Inspire! - Allow your people to find their purpose within the vision
Do this through coaching and quality conversations. - Give your people meaningful work
And allow them the space to get on with it. (In other words – get out of their way!) They may come up with a better way of doing things than you have ever considered. - Bring your people together – Help people find different ways to connect and celebrate. Make it meaningful; giving people a token ‘cookie’ and a pat on the head won’t cut it!
- Positivity brings more positivity – Even when the team doesn’t make the goal – don’t lose the lesson! Regroup, talk; understand why and what can be learnt for next time.
Are you ready to engage your team?
Download an overview of the Quality Conversations program to give you a better idea of how this program can re-engage your team. Bring your people together.
Maria Padbury is passionate about Creating Communities of value. She has repeatedly proven in organisations how you can increase productivity and performance through Creating Communities.
Maria believes this is the key to making us into better global citizens – making good people even better!
Maria
Contributor – Maria, Ancora Learning Specialist Facilitator
Maria Padbury is passionate about Creating Communities of value. She has repeatedly proven in organisations how you can increase productivity and performance through Creating Communities. Maria believes this is the key to making us into better global citizens – making good people even better!
For more information on our Quality Conversations Program
Call 1300 ANCORA (262672)
