Want the Best Results? Combine Engagement and Development
Engagement is not a buzzword; it is an output of effective leadership. Moving past saying we need to create engagement, and instead, executing a disciplined plan to do so, is the real recipe for success.
There is no shortage of information related to the subject of engagement. It can come in many different forms, sharing multiple perspectives. I have previously shared ideas on this same subject. In Want a More Engaged Team? Recognition is the Key to SuccessI discussed the importance of recognition as a method of generating engagement. And in 5 Ideas for Creating an Engaged Team, Icovered several ideas that will help keep a team engaged for the long haul. In this article, I’ll share my thoughts on how developing others creates engagement.
I was reading a short article on several ways to create engagement with your team, and I took away the idea that creating engagement for the sake of engagement is missing the point. It should be more than that. The engagement and development of others should not be separate thoughts. When you stop to think about that, it seems natural that investing time to develop others will create engagement. There is a lot of crossover of ideas when discussing engagement and development.
Create a shared experience
As I thought more about looking at these two subjects together, the concept of creating a shared development experience would serve both purposes and is likely something we are doing today in some fashion. Have you ever shared a video, motivation, inspiring, or just a good take on an everyday leadership concept? You share the video during a team meeting and then create some dialogue around that. You might ask something simple like, “What were your thoughts after watching that video?” This activity is building both engagement and development.
The engagement begins by getting the team together. Being connected as a team creates engagement. Suddenly, everyone can see, hear, and connect with other people that do what they do. They experience the same things in their day-to-day roles. Pause for a moment and think of the feelings that come from pulling your store team together or your district’s Store Managers for a meeting. It feels good to be partnered in person (or virtually) to share ideas, stories, or just to share what is happening. While few people genuinely like meetings, I rarely hear people say they dislike getting together with their peers. (And there is a huge difference in attending regular meetings on a daily basis compared to having a team meeting on an occasional basis.)
Development comes from sharing perspectives. The great thing about the age we live in is the ease of presenting so many ideas to so many people. Twenty-five years ago, it would have been quite a production to show a video (on any subject you wanted) on a screen and then have a conversation about it. While it was possible, the selection, the simplicity, and the venue options are significantly greater today. Even people who cannot physically join in person can easily be a part of the room through video meetings, and multiple chat features.
Video Discussion Ideas
Here are a few ideas on videos that can get you started on combining engagement and development sessions into one thought process.
In our role as leaders, creating engagement as well as developing others are at the very top of the list of priorities. It would be difficult to argue that those are the only two things we are charged with doing in our leadership positions. The benefits and outcomes that come from both of these skills define effectiveness and determines results. Connecting engagement and development into a single stream of thought will only lead to more powerful and positive successes for the entire team.
How do you create engagement and develop your team with combined activities and interactions?
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Photo by Hunter Harritt on Unsplash