Engagement or People Connection?
The latest buzz word in business is engagement. “Be engaged with your people.” “Stay engaged.” “Promote engagement.” “We need to measure employee engagement.” Engagement, engagement, and engagement!”
We say bah-hum-bug to engagement.
Ask yourself, “What if the leader:
isn’t good at engagement? “
gives the employee a bad experience when they engage?”
is all business and too direct?”
lacks soft skills?”
has an aggressive communication style?”
doesn’t demonstrate any good will or servant leadership?”
If you need to direct a leader to engage, then there is probably a good chance they may not be great at it, because, if they were, they would already be engaging!
We feel that “people connection” is the wave of the future, and we are on a crusade to replace the term “engagement” with “people connection.” When you connect with people, you look them in the eye, you communicate directly with them, you are ever present, you listen to them, you demonstrate respect for opinions and input, and you make them feel valued. People connection builds trust, fosters relationships, promotes communication and collaboration, and makes people feel they are part of something. It creates camaraderie and a sense that someone cares about them. “Engagement” can lack many of these elements.
As you go forward from reading this, realize that bad engagement is worse than no engagement. Practice people connection where you prioritize the moment, share the moment, and show the individual with whom you are talking that they are important enough for you to give them your undivided time and attention. Prioritize people and then watch what happens next. You are welcome!
Ask yourself, “Are you engaging or connecting with people?” Call us if you would like to discuss the difference.