How often do we see it that the results of an employee engagement survey come out, and one of the main messages is that your leaders aren’t engaging enough.  Whether this is due to poor communication, not managing performance or giving feedback, or knowing how to recognise or acknowledge their people.  The reasons are often varied, and sometimes the survey output isn’t granular enough to let you know where the focus for development needs to be.  But that’s not the purpose of this article. 
 
What we often overlook is that results like this create some of the most unnecessary, and unspoken, challenges felt by managers.   That is, the immediate pressure to become an engaging leader overnight. The idea that there needs to be immediate improvement is backed up by the rhetoric that comes with the results, the way they are shared (often without thought to framing, context or a supporting plan) and the fact that there will be another engagement survey next year and possibly some pulse surveys in between.

And in this moment we have created the ‘Engagement False Reality Trap’. 
And this is why it’s a false reality:

• Under normal circumstances, for the average leader, it takes time to build engagement with their people and within their team.  How long depends on factors like personality, leadership skills, the desire of the team members to reciprocate on the trust building front, and the extent to which the organisational factors enable all of this with things like clear direction, clear roles and responsibilities, a good capability development strategy. But it takes time.  And at the same time we can’t put a timeframe on building trust.  That’s the reality.

 

• Even the most experienced and inspiring of leaders will not build engagement with everyone. Yet, the implied expectation is that we need to build engagement – with everyone. 

 

• Based on the above, we know from experience that if a team is starting from a dysfunctional place, it can easily take a year of concerted effort before healthy change is seen.  Maybe longer if there are no supporting organisational development strategies or structures in place. And longer again if the higher layers of leadership are dysfunctional themselves and role modelling poor leadership behaviours themselves.

 
If the above factors are even partly true, and the managers of the groups with the poor results are not great people leaders, then we tend to see the following scenarios play out:

• Those leaders will try harder, for all the right reasons.  But sometimes we don’t know what we don’t know, and in these cases the effort to improve can be easily misguided.  Often what we see in this case is that the leader tries harder with the same style that led to those results in the first place, reinforcing the unhealthy levels of engagement.

 

• They opt out and become fully disengaged themselves due to feeling helpless.  They may already know on some level that they aren’t great ‘people’ leaders, so rely on their skills as a very good ‘technical’ leader.  The risk is that if they choose to opt out, the technical side of their leadership can be impacted by the overwhelming sense of disengagement

 

• A third scenario sometimes plays out, and that is when the manager seeks to find out who ‘nailed’ them in the survey.  This is not often seen, but it does exist, driven from a place of lower self-confidence and a lack of wanting to take any sort of ownership for how we arrived here.

These are just a few ideas for increasing your chances of collaboration or buy-in that have worked for me over the years.  However the most important element that underpins all of these suggestions is very simple.  When looking to gain the support or cooperation of others, approach them in a way that you would like to be approached.  Don't just tell them what you want; give a why.  And allow the opportunity to save face if you are seeking cooperation to a change that impacts them personally. After all, sometimes it’s hard to change our way of thinking over night, and some behaviours are deeply ingrained and gained from years of being the accepted way of doing something. The more you allow the opportunity for buy-in to your message in a way that protects sense of self, the more you improve your chances of collaboration or buy-in.

A potent leader comes across as natural; there is a higher degree of authenticity with what they do and how they do it.  This is because for them the debate on just how much we allow ‘who’ we are to influence our work isn’t a consideration.  I often hear leaders express concern over how they work hard to keep their personal and professional lives separate, or put effort into managing the balance. Little do they realise that people engage as much with who we are as much as they do the other factors such as remuneration, rewards and the aesthetics of the workplace. Years of global engagement surveys highlight this fact; but the chances are your people aren’t reading employee engagement surveys, but they are reading you every day. 

Being natural is about having a strong sense of self; being aware of your boundaries and being comfortable with what you are prepared to share, and the extent to which you are prepared to allow ‘who’ you are to colour your professional life and leadership style.  Accompanying this is a healthy level of self-esteem and knowing that a little bit of vulnerability and openness is demonstrating that you are human; you are real!  

So how can you be more natural in your leadership approach?  The easy answer is to have the confidence to be yourself.  If this isn’t a strong point, then question the self-talk that undermines and eats away at your confidence to allow more of yourself into the role.  Chances are the self-talk is based on messages we have picked up throughout life (many that we have brought from childhood into adult life) that are irrational and probably not relevant to who you are today.  So anything you can do to raise your levels of self-awareness and learn more about what makes you tick, will go a long way.  Working with a coach who can help you connect with your values, reading or working with a mentor who is acknowledged as a natural and effective leader are all ways to help develop your style.  ​

The more natural we can be within our role, the more likely it is that we will be able to relate to others in an engaging style.  After all, people will know ‘who’ it is that they are interacting with, which makes it easier for the communication flow and for the other person to also relax and bring more of who they are into the dialogue.  When you are more relaxed with yourself, it also means you can increase your focus on the other person.  Because you aren’t so worried (consciously or unconsciously) about what the other person may be thinking of you, this means you have more energy to invest in them.  Observing their body language, looking for small cues that let you understand what they are really saying.  You are signalling that you are interested in them; in ‘who’ they are.  Leaders who relate with ease are really quite unconditional in their approach.  To relate with ease is almost always about putting who you are, and your needs, to one side and really listening.  

The impact for global leaders in this regard is significant.  The ability to read small cues and be awake to what is really being said is critical to bridging the cultural gap.  It is how we identify the cultural rituals and understand the differences that exist between us; allowing us to engage and relate with greater meaning.  More importantly though, building any relationship, intercultural or otherwise, is an extremely unconditional process, and one that requires an acknowledgement that no matter which nationalities we may be interacting with we all share the some process for how we develop relationships.  That is; we all need to go through a process of building rapport (seeking to understand ‘who’ the other person is, what their rituals are, and what is important to them), as a precursor to enjoying the natural momentum and engagement that comes with a  ell developed relationship.  ​

You will soon realise that the idea of relating with ease has less to do with you, but more to do with how you enable the other person to relate to you with ease. ​

Out of the many drivers of employee engagement, the one that has the greatest impact is leadership.  Leaders influence engagement within an organisation both horizontally and vertically, and as identified in many research reports over the last ten years, engaging leadership is a non-negotiable when it comes to shifting culture and engagement.

And as if it wasn't already important, with the introduction of COVID-19, and a 'new normal' that has disrupted the way we work, it seems that now could be the time to rethink the way leadership development occurs from an engagement perspective.  And there is a very good reason for this that doesn't need research - it's something we all know.  Ask most leaders and they will be able to tell you ‘why’ employee engagement is important.  They will most likely be able to tell you ‘what’ they should be doing as well; after all most leaders have at some point completed some form of management or leadership training that has provided some great ideas on what to do.  But, as we also know, it's often the 'how' that lets a good leader down.

The secret to really good leadership engagement lies in ‘how’ we choose to deploy the skills and tools learned in the courses that teach 'what' to do, and in this respect the answer has been in front of us for a number of decades without realising it. Eric Berne, in his work with Transactional Analysis, identified a series of hungers that drive our behaviours, and they are integral to employee engagement:

1. Stimulation (being intellectually and emotionally stimulated),
2. Recognition (being acknowledged for who we are and what we do - acknowledgement of our existence in the group and in society)
3. Structure (how we make time for relationships and the activities that allow us to give and receive stimulation and recognition). 

In the simplest of terms - hit these markers in your leadership approach and you are building engagement for your people.  If your personal cup is at a healthy level or overflowing, then you are most likely also engaged!

For over 25 years now, I have often found myself working with actively disengaged employees and teams.  In this time I've worked with many underpinning causes of disengagement, such as, lack of challenge in the role, no vision for the future of the employee, lack of trust, psychological safety. inability to connect and integrate with new teams.  The reality is that they are all related either directly, or indirectly, to each of the hungers mentioned above.  Or rather, they are related to a lack of fulfilment of these hungers.

'How' we choose to create engagement as leaders should therefore look to address these basic hungers:

• We desire stimulation, so provide stimulation and enable challenge in the lives of your people.

 

• We desire recognition, so acknowledge your people on a personal and unconditional level (like a simple 'good morning or a smile), as well as for the work they do and the experience they bring to the table. 

 

• We desire involvement and connection, so facilitate a structured way of building rapport, connection and spirit in your team in such a way that people feel comfortable to connect with each other beyond the task at hand.

With the large-scale and sudden introduction of remote working, each of these factors play a much more important role when you consider the constraints of isolation.  Despite this you can easily construct a personal leadership engagement approach around these three pillars despite distance, and in fact it's because of the basic hunger aspect of these elements that we need to address them more than before.  

However being remote does make it harder to create stimulation, to provide recognition and to feel connected in the same way as we do in an office environment.  So your challenge is to find ways to help your people feel involved; they may be geographically distant, but they don't need to be psychologically distant.  So the key here is frequency of connection points, and then the quality of how you connect when you do come together.  On the simplest of levels you can:

• Create ways to connect and just be with your team, collectively and individually (structure). 
• Listen and respond to the challenges they may be experiencing, or the things they are really enjoying about their new ways of working (recognition). 
• Respond to what you hear; can you leverage the energy of someone relishing the remote work environment? For those who express negative feelings, and even if there's not much you can do about it, you are acknowledging what's happening for them.  Perhaps there is the chance to co-create some ideas for doing things differently (stimulation & recognition).

The engine room of engagement is often perceived as a complex beast; but it doesn’t have to be this way; and it probably never has had to be this way.  If you can keep it simple and focus on the above three elements, then you are making it easier to lead in a naturally engaging and potent manner.

You are leading to engage.
​

​Over the past couple of weeks, despite the Covid-19 impact on our world, many organisations are still going ahead with plans to build engaged and winning teams using virtual means rather than face to face.
 
And that is great news!  What this means is that there is still a mindset in organisations and amongst leaders that getting your team on the same page, connected and engaged is still a priority.
 
In fact, I’d go one step further and suggest that these activities are more important today for the most obvious reason that we are forced to be physically distant.  But just because you can’t be physically in the same space doesn’t mean you can’t go a good way down the track to building an engaged team. The quality of online sharing technology is such that there is almost no excuse for not being able to check-in on each other or share and create rituals that are good for you and the team.
 
However if you are looking for something that operates at a deeper level, that you would normally get from an in-person event where there is the ability to be in the same place to workshop your rules of engagement and shared values over a couple of days, you may come up a little short.  The reality is that part of our decision making when it comes to building trust and closeness is driven by our ability to see, hear and experience each other in a group context.  We only get part of that picture when we are seeking to do this virtually; we get it in snapshots from the waist up and in individual contexts without being able to see and experience the interplay and dynamic between people.  As we know it’s the dynamic that we are working with to create the foundation for resilient and sustainable relationships.
 
So, what can we do to build engaging teams in this era of remote working?
 
The good news is that we can still build fantastic rapport in the team.  We can still lay the groundwork for resilient relationships and an engaged team.  And if your team has been together for a while before having to work remotely, then there’s a pretty good chance with the right guidance that you can maintain the momentum and levels of engagement that exist in your team.
 
Below are three principles to apply when thinking about your next virtual teaming event.  They are principles I apply and that I’ve seen others apply to good effect:
 
Accept that it’s just going to look and feel different.
-This may be more targeted towards facilitators and those who lean towards being perfectionists, who love an event that looks and feels a certain way and delivers a known outcome.  Accepting that it will be virtual and still yield good outcomes is a perceptual hurdle to get over, but once you do you will be glad you continued down this path.
 
Put time into your planning and communications for the event.
-You will need to plan more than you do for a face to face event.  Contrary to popular belief, virtual does not mean less effort.  Put the time aside to thoroughly plan your event and to rethink your event through a virtual lens. Once you have your agenda and the activities, a great idea is to visualise how you see the event playing out.  Run through the agenda and activities with a colleague – test them out – do they work in a virtual sense?  Do they deliver what they are designed to achieve?
 
-You will also need to communicate more than usual.  For many people, teaming events can be uncomfortable under normal circumstances, coupled with the fact that you are doing this in a different way which represents change.  Think through how you communicate this event, how you engage your participants before, during and after the event.  You may even need to apply some of the principles of change communication given that we are not only asking people to do something they may not be comfortable with, but they may also be resistant towards as well.
 
Apply the Formula:  2 Days F2F = 2 Months PTT
-As mentioned above, we don’t expect that a virtual activity will deliver the depth of connection that a day or two in person will.  But it can if you reframe it and apply the following formula:
 
1 day F2F = 1 months PTT (Planned Teaming Touchpoints). 
 
For every day you would spend in a face to face teaming event, plan one month of team touch points beyond your virtual teaming activity. Design them so they link back to the initial teaming event, and so they build on from each other. 
 
 
I hope this has been a useful piece of guidance for those who are designing or facilitating virtual teaming events for the first time.  I will also leave you with a personal mantra of my own that I find very useful in these circumstances:

1. Be realistic about what you hope to achieve.
2. Be optimistic that you can achieve more than what you realistically think you will achieve.
3. Be disciplined in keeping your commitments to yourself and to others.

In January I wrote about the importance of taking the time to engage with your people.  And that was just before our world was tipped upside down by Covid-19!

Upon reflection, the suggestions for taking the time to engage with your people are probably more relevant today, even though it feels as though one hand is tied behind your back in terms of freedom to connect.  But it is still very possible to maintain the quality of your relationships despite the enforced distance; in fact ask any leader who has successfully led a high performing virtual team and they will gladly tell you it's possible.

Now, we know that not everyone signed up for being a remote leader, and I'm sure there are some who find it difficult enough being a leader of people when you are in the same place!  We've all been there at some point, so you aren't alone.  But the reality is you're not alone now either, because we are here, only a phone call or email away for a chat and the opportunity to pick our brains.  You have the experience of the Ponte Valle team at your fingertips to help guide you through this interesting leadership time.

But there are some things you can be doing right now that are reflective of that article I wrote back in January.  They are:

Value your 1:1’s with your team and what they represent.  You can still have meaningful 1:1's with your team even though there is distance.  In fact right now, your ability to maintain your 1:1's and to have meaningful conversations may be a lifesaver for your team members as much as it is for you.

Be interested in your team members.  Not everyone will be coping well with social-isolation, and we know that for some people the ability to connect with others is critical; not just because they may be a 'people-person' and more extroverted, but because they may also be prone to depression when they are cut off from social connection.  At our very core all of us like to be acknowledged for for 'who' we are and not just 'what' we are doing.  So make your 1:1's or team member touch points frequent, and really do check in on them - ask how they are doing - don't just ask what they are doing.

Create opportunities for connection in the team.  This point remains the same.  Create those opportunities that allow the team to come together and share on a values level. Most people are comfortable sharing about the things that give them enjoyment; and this is the level of sharing that removes the superficial layers and boundaries and opens the door to genuine connection. 

If you’d like to know more about the ways in which you can build a more engaging 'remote' leadership style, view our Engaging Leadership Resources, or join our next Lead 2 'Remotely' Engage leadership course.  

Rather, trust is one of those elements that demand the respect of time and effort.  Trust is after all about respect for the other person, or people, and the respect for that space that exists between you and the group you are either leading or seeking to influence.   ​

Trust is not a weapon, or something with which to threaten others; if there is a need to do this then it is time to question your motives for being in the role.  Threatening to remove trust, or questioning trust, is often a signal that no genuine intent to build trust exists from the beginning.  

As leaders this means that our role is to be thinking about how we create the opportunity for vulnerability to grow.  And the solution evolves around psychological safety, which applies to all aspects of work life around the world.  
 
Leaders have a certain potency that comes with their role that can be overlooked.  That is, our ability to create a safe place where people feel ok to bring ‘who’ they are into the role and the workplace.  I remember when I started my working life, this was an optional and largely unknown aspect of leadership, and if you had a leader who did this then you really had landed on your feet!  Today is different.  We know more about human development and motivation, and the links between performance, culture, engagement and happiness at work.  We also know more about the role that we play as leaders in making it ok for our people to bring as much of themselves to work as possible, and not just a persona shackled by a strong defensive boundary.
 
How do we make it ok?  It’s simple to understand in one respect and at the same time, depending on our own frame of reference, can be difficult to do.  We lead by example in making the environment inclusive and non-judgemental.  We give people time to colour their role with ‘who’ they are, and we don’t enforce a time limit on the development of trust and engagement.  In fact, by expecting that trust or engagement should be occurring by a certain time could be saying more about our personal needs as a leader than it does about the people we are leading.