What is Employee Engagement anyway?

Today in North America job satisfaction is at an all time low with fewer than 1 in 3 people being engaged at work. In the past 25 years a marked loss of "job satisfaction" has put less then 35% of people happy or proud of their work, the environment they work in or their current position within a corporation.

Disengaged employees cost the North American economy up to $350 billion per year in lost productivity.

What can be done?

GREAT leaders need to focus on engaging employees with :

GROWTH

• Meet one-on-one to assess the career goals of your employees
• Acknowledge what skills, experience and knowledge they need in order to identify those goals
• HELP them to identify ways to close the gaps between their goals and the where they are now in their career
• Offer mentorships, job rotations, meetings and job training

RECOGNITION

• Show appreciation readily, but make sure it is deserved
• Don't just say it or use email. Written notes are highly valued
• Offer recognition in public or with their peers or a boss present
• Ask people their opinion; get them involved

TRUST

• Your words and deeds must match
• Be transparent; share the bad news along with the good news
• When you make a mistake; acknowledge it
• Never say anything about a person that your wouldn't say to their face
• Constantly remind everyone of the Big Goal and the Plan that will get them there

The Pressures of Being a Minor Hockey Goaltender

IN THIS DAY AND AGE, you might think of minor hockey as one of the safest sports around. After all, the equipment of today is lighter and more protective than ever.

The irony is that while the padding players wear is more advanced than it has ever been, the pressure that players find themselves under has only escalated. The player under the greatest stress on a daily basis is the goalie, the last line of defence. Once the puck gets past the grasp of the goaltender, a goal is scored, and the pace of the game changes immediately.
While some goalies handle stress better than others, the bottom line is that the tension always exists, and, unlike the rest of the team the person in net has no one to fall back on.


Goalies are often referred to as a “different breed” for good reason; not every kid is up to the awesome task. Behind the pipes, the goalie is often the last hope that a team has and can make, or break, the outcome of a game, and sometimes the greatest game-to-game competition they face is to a chance to play in the crease.
Goaltending is definitely not for the faint of heart.

Motivating Employees: 3 Unusual Things GREAT Bosses Do

Where employees are concerned, great leaders don't take. Great leaders give--especially these three things:

They give unexpected attention.
Everyone loves attention. Unfortunately you don't have unlimited time to devote to each employee.
So make the most of the time you do have. Don't just comment on the big stuff, the stuff you're supposed to focus on.
Notice a small detail. Praise a particular phrase she used to smooth the transition from customer conflict to problem resolution. Praise how he swung by another employee's desk to grab paperwork he could deliver on his way to another office. Pick something small, something positive, something helpful--something unexpected--to show you really pay attention.
Pick out details and employees know you're watching--in a good way--and not only will they work harder, more importantly they will feel better about themselves.
They give employees a break.
He messed up. Badly. Not only are you a little pissed, this is a teachable moment. You feel compelled to talk about it, possibly at length.
Don't. For a good employee, the lesson is already learned. Catch his eye, nod, let it go, and help him fix the problem.
Once in a while employees can all use a break. When they get one they never forget it. And they try really hard to show they deserved that break--and to make sure they never need another one.

They give an undeserved compliment.
Compliments don't always have to be earned. Sometimes a compliment can be like a self-fulfilling prophecy
.
When you see something in employees that they don't see--at least not yet--they often try hard to fulfill the belief you have in them.
That happened to me. I went out for debating in ninth grade and was nervous, scared, intimidated--pick any fearful adjective. It fit. A week or so into practices I heard the teacher talking to one of the seniors. "That kid there," he said, referring to me, "will be a champion by the time she's a senior."
He was wrong. It turned out I wasn't. But I immediately felt more confident, more self-assured, and incredibly motivated. Those feelings lasted for a long time.
He believed in me.
And I started to believe in myself.

Working at Happiness

A happy employee is a more productive employee.  But how to make them happy is the challenge. Many take the goal too personally and try to build staff contentment through personal relationships.

Professional growth People want to stretch, to develop their natural talents, feel their life has a narrative and is going somewhere. When they feel that they are growing, they may be exhausted but they're also inspired, energetic, and willing to take on a great deal. Anyone who reports to you (and anyone who reports to them) should have a professional development plan. That will keep everybody engaged, busy, and--eventually--happy.

Strong community Everybody wants to be proud of where they work, to feel that they are investing the most precious thing they have--time--in something that matters.Superficial social-responsibility projects won't fill this gap for you. You need to create direct links between the success of the business and the community you serve. These need to involve the entire work force and should be active, public, visible, and long lasting. Many companies get their staff to choose the causes or charities they support. The more they're engaged in these commitments, the more meaningful they will be to them--and your company community.

Fair treatment "Everybody here is somebody." The owner or manager knows everyone's name--even the names of everyone's kids and pets. This kind of fair--and kind--treatment also means startlingly low turnover rates, which also saves money. But it's not really about the money.

The very best companies honor these principles and enact them lavishly. They don't pay lip service, and they don't do the bare minimum; they go overboard. They do so because they know the secret of leadership: Look after the people, and the people look after the business.

Check out Aranawards.com for more great rewards for you & your team.