Our February 8 discussion about developing “raving fans” within your workforce yielded a compact, three-part framework to help us go beyond the goal of engagement and elevate our aim toward full-blown enthusiasm:
- Caring – We need to genuinely care about the people who care for our clients and patients.
- Connection – Staying in touch with employees requires equal parts technology and humanity.
- Core – Moving forward doesn’t have to be all about shiny objects; don’t forget your core values and initiatives.
Caring
Your discipline with caring can manifest in several ways:
- Listening: How often do we send out employee surveys and then ignore what the survey reveals? Whether you are in-person or sorting through feedback, listening is a foundational leadership skill.
- Involving: It’s well-documented that our next generation of employees expects to have a voice in moving their companies forward. Operational improvement today requires champions at all levels of the company – and especially from the front lines.
- Recognizing/rewarding: We live in an age where plentiful technology (see below) exists to recognize and reward in the moment and wherever the employee happens to be in their workday.
Connection
COVID highlighted the need to normalize multi-faceted, multi-channel employee communications. Now we need to use what we’ve learned about pandemic-era communication to truly connect with our people.
- Early mentoring: Early assignment of mentors correlates highly with retention.
- Less Zoom: Try aiming for in-person or over-the-phone communication to make better connections.
- “Just Because” messaging: One-off communications – like a “how are you doing?” text – are easy to field and memorable. And you might just get a response.
Core
As the array of technology options has broadened, the opportunities to become enamored with “shiny objects” we can plug into HR has grown accordingly. But we often have numerous programs and initiatives – including our core mission/vision values – that could be revisited and/or revitalized to infuse shared enthusiasm.
- Core mission/vision/values: Connecting recognition and rewards to values and behaviors – and not just results – will reinforce the importance of your core and provide a forum to get to your respective ‘Why’.
- Operational Improvement via Lean Six Sigma: Removing friction in the employee experience also yield rewards for the business. Operationally efficient companies tend to have more satisfied workforces.
- Opportunity: Don’t overlook the fundamental components of the employment relationship, such as appropriate laddering of compensation and career.