This whitepaper describes 10 ways that leaders of all types of organizations can take action to strengthen employee engagement.

1. Give in
10 ways to engage "
your employees so !
they can satisfy "
your customers and !
enhance your !
organization’s !
performance.
By Tim Morawetz
Principal, Glue Inc.
September 2011
www.glue-to.com

2. Give
in
With good reason, ‘employee engagement’ is
one of the hot-buttons in organizations today. "
The looming talent shortage caused by the aging
population, plus increased mobility among
workers due to heightened personal expectations,
makes the task of finding and keeping first-rate
Give
staff a key priority.
If you accept the premise that, in the right
inspiration
workplace environment, most people have the
potential – and even the desire – to be strong
instruction
contributors, then there are plenty of steps that "
all types of organizations can take to strengthen
information
employee engagement.
informality
The big win from greater employee engagement
is the positive impact on your organization’s
interaction
customers, clients, business partners, volunteers
or other stakeholders, which in turn improves your
influence
financial performance.
The following pages present 10 ways you "
initiative
can take action to enhance your workplace
environment and boost employee engagement.
input
incentive
intensity

3. Give inspiration.
Explain your vision, mission and values.
Motivated by their own intrinsic sense of purpose,
1
most people would be willing to help their employer be
successful. But to do so, employees must first
understand and then believe in what your organization
stands for, and know how their individual efforts
contribute to the achievement of that mission.
The term ‘internal brand’ is often used to describe
this employee-focused perception of the organization.
Effectively communicating the internal brand is important
during recruitment (to help attract candidates with the
right ‘fit’), and especially during onboarding (when you
have the unique opportunity to shape new employees’
perceptions of how your organization operates).
Although the content of such messaging is often lofty,
strive to present it in simple, direct language (words and
images) that speaks to the heart, as well as to the head.
Storytelling can be a powerful tool in conveying these
intangibles that set the organization apart.

4. Give instruction.
Provide the training and tools needed for success.
Clearly, employees need to know how to perform their
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workplace duties, and be equipped with the right tools to
get the job done efficiently. In today’s digital world,
developing and delivering high-impact training programs
(whether in-person or online) has never been easier.
Remember to accommodate people’s different learning
styles (i.e., visual, auditory, hands-on doing).
Beyond training for today, think about building
employee capability for tomorrow. Although less relevant
for seasonal or blue-collar workers, establishing and
tracking individual career-development plans adds variety
and challenge to the employee work experience, while
helping the organization address its future skill
requirements.
In larger organizations, such talent-development
efforts might take the form of internal courses and
programs; in smaller organizations, it can involve "
classes offered by local or online educational institutions.
Regardless, employees should know how the learning will
enhance their future success and career prospects.

5. Give information.
Candidly share how the organization is doing.
In the absence of real information about your
3
organization’s activities and performance, damaging
rumours can easily fill the void and thus weaken
workplace morale and productivity.
Well-publicized business crises, from Tylenol
tampering back in 1982 to listeriosis contamination at
Maple Leaf Foods in 2008, demonstrate that telling the
truth, right away – no matter whether the news is good "
or bad – is the best way to earn the trust of employees
and other stakeholders.
For ongoing internal communications (such as
change or business-improvement initiatives), consider
developing a memorable theme or slogan that both
encapsulates your key message and nurtures a sense of
pride and connection to the cause.
Finally, be sure your staff are aware of the full range "
of group benefits and employee assistance programs
(e.g., elder care, flexible work hours), and understand
how to access them.

6. Give informality.
Encourage cross-hierarchical interactions.
Although org charts and supervisor-worker
4
relationships are needed to establish accountabilities, it’s
advantageous to nurture an internal climate where your
employees at all levels feel comfortable connecting with
colleagues – upwards, downwards or sideways. The
sense that ‘we’re all in it together’ created by such
openness can be especially helpful in times of change or
challenge.
Informal or formal workplace mentoring – pairing
younger workers with more seasoned ones – helps both
parties gain knowledge and insights from each another
while providing a natural means of transmitting your
corporate culture and internal brand from one generation
to another.
Another means of encouraging casual connections is
by offering onsite recreational equipment such as comfy
couches or pool tables, or by supporting after-work
hockey or ultimate frisbee teams.
Speaking of informality, take reasonable steps to
allow staff to express their own personalities. As long as
they are getting the job done and are not interfering with
co-workers, offending customers or compromising the
organization’s image, allow employees to express their
individuality (e.g., in how they present themselves or
decorate their workspace).

7. Give interaction.
Promote sharing and collaboration.
Closely related to informality is interaction: deliberately
5
creating opportunities for employees in different areas of
the organization to work together and share ideas.
Such interaction can be achieved by assembling
cross-functional project teams, and by employing online
tools to document and share best practices (vitally
important for employees working in dispersed locations
or from home offices.)
No other form of interaction, however, matches the
impact of actually bringing together your employees and
their senior leaders, face-to-face, to discuss business
developments, work on shared challenges, and simply
have fun together.
(For eight tips on maximizing the value of face-to-face
employee meetings, see Glue’s whitepaper, Coming
together in a virtual world.)

8. Give influence.
Invite staff to express their views to the leadership team.
Most of us welcome the chance to be heard when we
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have something to say. It’s helpful to offer ongoing
opportunities for your organization’s opinion-leaders
(both supportive and contrarian) to personally interact
with senior management and safely speak their mind.
Leaders can provide such forums by hosting "
regular live town-hall meetings, inviting work groups or
individuals out for lunch or a drink after work, or simply
taking time each week to walk the halls of the office,
store or plant to meet with and listen to staff.
Be sure to thank employees for expressing
themselves, then spend sufficient time reviewing the
input you received. If there are ideas you cannot
implement, be sure to explain why not so as to avoid
creating cynicism.
For those staff who may be less comfortable
speaking out in public, offer anonymous ways to share
their ideas. Traditional or digital suggestion boxes, as "
well as periodic online surveys, enable employees to
express their opinions, concerns or suggestions for
business improvement.

9. Give initiative.
Empower employees to take the lead.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of simply telling employees
7
what to do. A more enlightened approach may be to
explain what outcomes you’re expecting them to achieve,
then encouraging individuals or teams to determine their
own way to achieve the desired results.
A culture of innovation requires leaders to allow their
people to make mistakes, while encouraging and
supporting their efforts and celebrating their successes.
Within reason, permit staff to beg for forgiveness rather
than insisting that they always ask for permission first.
Empowering employees to unleash their creativity "
and take the lead in addressing challenges will yield
greater staff dedication and enhanced organizational
performance.

10. Give input.
Meet regularly to discuss employee performance.
In many organizations, performance reviews are a
8
dreaded annual event where employees expect to hear
about all the things they’ve done wrong. Handled
correctly, however, the process of regularly reviewing
performance helps you stay in touch with staff, allowing
you to observe what’s going well and take steps to
address any areas needing improvement.
At the start of the year, supervisors and employees
should mutually agree upon measurable performance
goals that are explicitly connected to broader
organizational goals. Then, ideally on a quarterly basis,
meet with individual employees to discuss their progress,
and offer resources as appropriate to help address
issues. Your supervisors may require special training on
how to consistently conduct effective performance
reviews.
If, despite these efforts, the performance of specific
employees does not improve, they must be removed.
Otherwise, your average performers may ‘slack off’
without fear of consequences, while your top performers
can get frustrated and quit.

11. Give incentive.
Recognize important contributions.
In some organizations, formally rewarding individuals "
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or teams with cash bonuses or special awards fits well
with their culture. In others, such an approach may
backfire and cause resentment and de-motivation.
Recognition is generally a less risky and more
compelling form of workplace incentive. It should ideally
come from peers as well as supervisors. For greatest
impact, conduct the recognition as soon as possible after
the positive behaviour. And, consider the individual
employee’s temperament when delivering recognition: a
public congratulations ceremony may suit an extroverted
sales rep, while a handwritten thank-you note from a
manager may be better for quieter types.
Not all recognition must be based on tangible
outcomes. A retail employee’s above-and-beyond efforts
in handling a customer complaint, or a plant worker’s
contribution to a safety committee, can warrant special
commendation.
Providing it’s done fairly, incorporating some form of
profit-sharing or gain-sharing in the compensation
structure enables all employees to financially benefit from
their contribution to the organization’s success.
Finally, years-of-service milestones should not slip by
unmarked. By saluting the tenure of specific workers, the
organization demonstrates its appreciation for their
commitment, while signalling to younger employees that
it values employee loyalty.

12. Give intensity.
Foster a culture of urgency and passion for results.
This final engagement principle is more about ‘how’
10
than about ‘what.’
The current uncertainty in the marketplace and rapid
pace of change means that ‘business as usual’ is no
longer an option. The mantra of ‘faster, smarter, cheaper’
is being heard in boardrooms far and wide.
Making this rallying-cry come to life demands that
everyone in the organization operate with a sense of
urgency. If employees perceive this pursuit of intensity as
desperate and heavy-handed, they may feel threatened
and withdraw. On the other hand, if leaders confidently
walk the talk and celebrate the organization’s successes,
this passion for results becomes ingrained in the
workplace culture and turns into a powerful competitive
advantage.

13. About
Glue
Glue Inc. is a consulting practice, established
in 2002, that collaborates with corporations,
professional practices and not-for-profit
organizations to strengthen the connections
between their internal constituents and thus
enhance their performance.
Communications that stick.
Glue Inc. 2 Burnham Road, Toronto, Ontario M4G1C1 Canada
(416) 703-5300 • info@glue-to.com • www.glue-to.com