Engagement
Funny some days how our mind associates words with songs. As I was typing "engagement" as a title I heard David Lee Roth semi screaming "Ain't Talkin' bout Love. . . .".
Actually it's a reference to the way we lead our teams and organizations, or should be. I still run into too many managers (not leaders) who believe "because I said so" is a reason that enhances individual and organizational performance. In our constantly changing business and community environments, engaging team members in not only the how, but the what, when and most importantly the WHY of process, procedure, objectives, vision and execution that is crucial to innovation and adaptability. Plenty of previous posts I've shared earlier with more specifics if you want to run the sidebar of titles. I particularly notice it in the 20-35 year olds I work with who've grown up in an era where following the "leaders" has led to global crisis time and time again.
As an organizational leader at any level it is imperative that we involve and engage everyone in crucial conversations that build collaboration and teamwork. That doesn't mean we're giving up authority to make final decisions. It does mean we understand that regardless of job title, no one person has all the answers or even the best ideas. The research is pretty clear that engagement creates understanding, relationship, and trust which leads to increased productivity and outcomes. Watch author Steve Johnson below and as our Friday task: Work on active listening with your team regardless of the product or service. After all, the biggest problem we face in American organizations in particular isn't greed, narcissism or laziness, it's a lack of trust for those in authority. Solve that and anything's possible.
Actually it's a reference to the way we lead our teams and organizations, or should be. I still run into too many managers (not leaders) who believe "because I said so" is a reason that enhances individual and organizational performance. In our constantly changing business and community environments, engaging team members in not only the how, but the what, when and most importantly the WHY of process, procedure, objectives, vision and execution that is crucial to innovation and adaptability. Plenty of previous posts I've shared earlier with more specifics if you want to run the sidebar of titles. I particularly notice it in the 20-35 year olds I work with who've grown up in an era where following the "leaders" has led to global crisis time and time again.
As an organizational leader at any level it is imperative that we involve and engage everyone in crucial conversations that build collaboration and teamwork. That doesn't mean we're giving up authority to make final decisions. It does mean we understand that regardless of job title, no one person has all the answers or even the best ideas. The research is pretty clear that engagement creates understanding, relationship, and trust which leads to increased productivity and outcomes. Watch author Steve Johnson below and as our Friday task: Work on active listening with your team regardless of the product or service. After all, the biggest problem we face in American organizations in particular isn't greed, narcissism or laziness, it's a lack of trust for those in authority. Solve that and anything's possible.
Solving the lack of trust requires an intermediary step: putting people in leadership that merit the trust.
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