I was looking through some notes I made a couple months ago about Employee Engagement and what it looked like to me. It wasn’t a long list, but one that shows the components I find important in keeping myself engaged. As I look at the list this morning though, it also seems to be a summary of ways we can be a better team member, a way to make a department better, and even a way to address problems when you are not properly aligned with the expectations of a leader. Here’s my list:
- Volunteer to do more
- Be more active (in the group, the topic, etc.)
- Look for ways to improve, then implement them
- Take ownership for what goes well and where you need to improve
- Get “fired up” and use your passion
- Be loyal
- Build trusting relationships
I guess the take away for me, and maybe for you, is that many of the things we can do to foster our own engagement in a workplace or some other activity we pursue are the very things that will help us build relationships and work better with people.
What do you think? What would you add to the list?
2 Comments
The only thing I would add is to involve yourself less with the inter-office chatter/politics and more with getting the job done. Too many times the reason why one is employed is not the focus amongst the team. As I always say- if you don’t get the primary job done, you are expendable.
I like this. Its about personal responsibility. I grow weary at times listening to managers moan about not feeling motivated, appreciated or engaged in their work. When I begin to ask them about what they are doing to improve the situation, it surfaces that they have the incredible expectation that someone else is responsible for their happiness. While I recognize that your manager and others can create “drag” on your motivation, ultimately managers need to take responsibility for creating their engagement and making the place they work a better place for everyone.