Here are my favorite articles for the week on employee engagement and creating a culture of appreciation. Feel free to share your comments.
Increase employee engagement with new technology, techniques (Press Release)
(IT Web) “Research shows that when participants work together to solve problems and arrive at a correct answer, they are more likely to retain knowledge. When instructors can make open-ended questions a part of the lesson plan, they can encourage and facilitate class discussions, providing guidance while participants collaborate to resolve issues – and gain lasting knowledge. Essentially the more the participants engage with the content during the lesson in an active fashion the better the learning outcome will be.”
My Thoughts: As a speaker/trainer who has to keep attendees engaged for up to six hours at a time, the more we “play” together, the better. www.polleverywhere.com is a great resource for incorporating polls into your presentations.
Small business advice: How to attract and retain loyal millennials by Zvi Band
(Washington Post.com) “Help them help you. Millennials aren’t as interested in old-fashioned workplace incentives — such as cash — as employees from older generations. They want to build their skills to create a meaningful career. Satisfy this desire for self-improvement by beefing up your company-sponsored professional development and volunteer opportunities. Doing so will help millennials build the long-term life (and skills) they desire.”
My Thoughts: By investing in the long-term success of your millennial employees, you will retain them and be better able to take advantage of the technical savvy, creativity, and contribution to the greater mission of the organization that they bring with them.
4 Ways to Inspire Employee Engagement and Boost Employee Retention by Margaret Jacoby
(HuffingtonPost.com) “Have an Open Door Policy: The best employees are adults — and want to be treated like adults. Open door policies aren’t just a good way of stopping people from quitting, especially if you see the warning signs — they’re a real opportunity to get feedback from your employees and look for solutions to their problems.”
My thoughts: Remember, never ask a question that you don’t really want the answer to. An open door policy must be just that – a safe place for employees to let you know what’s really going on. If you shut them down or argue with them, they will never share their thoughts with you again.
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Lisa Ryan, creator of Grategy® is a gratitude expert, professional speaker and bestselling author. For more information contact (216) 225-8027. For information on Grategy® programs please visit http://www.grategy.com. Follow on Twitter: @Grategy