The zen of engagement

I’m a member of the Employee Engagement Network, and recommend it as a resource for anyone who is interested in being a better manager.

“Employee engagement” is one of the HR terms in vogue right now. If it seems too much like corporate-speak, then think of it — as I do — as finding ways for people to connect as fully as possible with their work and the people they work with. When we feel engaged, we’re more innovative, more productive, more successful. That’s a good thing for everyone.

Recently, the leader of the Employee Engagement Network put together this PDF of advice from members of the network: Employee Engagement Advice in One Sentence. You’ll find 52 ideas about getting and keeping people engaged at work. Please download and share it with whomever you wish.

Think of these not as “how to” instructions, but as management koans. They may seem obvious, or they may seem superficial, but there’s a lot of distilled wisdom in many of these ideas. The more I think about them, the more I find to think about. I hope you’ll find something helpful too.

The Right 3 Things

When I interviewed for my initial job as Director of Planning at Wizards of the Coast, I had a long talk with Peter Adkison, the founder and president of Wizards.

Peter’s focus and commitment were already legendary: his emails to staff began at 5:00 AM, and he often didn’t leave his desk until 11:00 PM. I was a little nervous about this: I wanted the job very much, but I had been to the Burnout Zone before, and a return visit wasn’t part of my career plan.

Peter said, “I work hard, and I expect all my direct reports to work hard too. I expect that kind of commitment. Can you give me that?”

I took a breath and said, “Peter, I have a partner, a writing career, and a life. I can’t put in 80-hour weeks for you. If you give me a list of 10 things every day, I can’t promise to do everything on the list. But here’s what I will promise: I will always do the right 3 things.”

We sat in silence for a moment. And then he smiled and said, “Okay.”

The Right 3 Things are a moving target. It can be especially hard in turbulent times to stay in sync with them. But if you can — if you can know every day what your Right 3 Things are — you’re a huge step down the road of making your work life, and your team, much more effective.

How do you identify The Right 3 Things? You get clear on your team’s accountabilities, and then line up your priorities accordingly. You can find specific suggestions on this, including how to identify your team’s basic accountabilities and a model for how to prioritize, in Humans At WorkSM Session 4, section 4.5 (download the PDF file).

They watch everything you do

One of the most disconcerting experiences for a new manager is the first time you realize that everyone on your team watches everything you do.

If you get up from your desk, people watch to see where you’re going. Someone always knows when you’re in the bathroom. They watch your face when the VP of Production leaves your office, and make guesses about what your expression means. They watch to see if you smile more at Sally than you do at Tom, and make guesses about what that means too. They learn to read your tells — the way you drum your fingers when you’re impatient, or the eyebrow you raise just before you cut off someone’s explanation. They talk about your behavior when you’re not around, and they assign meaning to everything.

You are constantly on your team’s radar. They hear and see everything you do.

Does that make you nervous? How about letting it make you aware instead? Let it teach you that managing is first and foremost a relationship, and behavior is the heart of relationship. Everything you do and say — every behavior — becomes a part of that relationship. The more you are aware of your behavior, the more chances you have to create an effective relationship.

But that’s so artificial, you may be thinking. No, it’s not, although it may feel that way until you get the hang of it. Keep practicing. It is entirely possible to be both aware of what you’re doing, and and authentic about it. Great managers do it all the time.

If you feel overwhelmed, remember — awareness takes practice, and it’s good to start in small and specific ways. Try this exercise: when you get to work every day, smile and say hello, by name, to everyone on your team the very first time you see them. When you are leaving for the day, say goodbye/good night, by name, to everyone on your team who is in the work area. Do this consistently for a week. See what happens.

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